If I Had A Heart
by Sasha Wren
Summary: *SEASON 3 SPOILERS FOLLOW* Viren has nothing. Well, nothing save for his magically powerful daughter and a glowing purple chrysalis on the far end of the cave. He has no idea what is in store for him when the chrysalis breaks open, but for now, it's his only hope. Slow-burn Viravos, with some personal theories on Aaravos's character and backstory. Rated M for just stone cold smut.
1. Chapter 1

This is going to be a slow-burn Viravos fic with some dabbling in my theories on Aaravos's character. It's all obviously not canon and for mature readers only. All characters belong to Wonderstorm! Ah, and needless to say, spoilers follow. Read at your own risk!

* * *

The glowing light of the chrysalis made it nearly impossible to sleep, but Viren still managed to find some shut eye here and there. He lay there on the cold musty ground, back toward the pulsing sack of magical goo, breathing heavily in a deep sleep. He was twisting and turning, feeling as if something were crawling all over him. A moment finally passed where he felt nothing, and then... A small dragonhead caterpillar crawled across the ridge of his ear, hovering above his eardrum.

"What is it you dream of?" whispered the sultry voice of the elf.

Viren sat up suddenly, awakening from his dream with a start. He turned to face the chrysalis, still glowing, the creature within writhing from its transfiguration. Nearly every time Viren managed to fall asleep in the wretched cavern, he dreamed of the bug on his ear, asking him all sorts of questions ranging from his dreams to his deepest fears. Viren narrowed his eyes at the chrysalis in suspicion.

It had been three days since he had woken up from the other side, Claudia's relieved yet sheepish expression greeting him timidly. He'd be okay now, she said. That was all that mattered. Of course, he had lost nearly everything in the fall from the storm spire, including his staff. But yes, at least he was _okay_. And all he had to show for his trials and tribulations was several broken bones and this nightmare of an animal familiar. Perhaps what would emerge from the cocoon was strong enough to help him with his conquest. But for now, he had lost all communication with the startouch elf, and had no idea what to do.

Viren turned to see Claudia still snoring in her corner of the cave. He sighed, moving with several grunts of pain and frustration so that he was sitting upright against the cavern wall.

"Claudia," he said.

Nothing.

"Claudia!"

"Wha-what?" Claudia started awake, eyes wide. She tucked her hair behind her ears, the whitened side glowing purple from the light of the chrysalis. "Oh, you're awake," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," said Viren. He rubbed his eyes. "Can you get me some water?"

"Yes, of course." Claudia rushed to dig around in her pack, searching for the waterskin she had filled the day before. Once she found it, she knelt beside her father and handed it to him.

Viren drank thirstily, coughing lightly when he was finished. He was certainly grateful to have only broken bones in his legs - having full use of his arms made things much easier. But not being able to stand without Claudia's assistance, stuck in this cave with the horrible creature gestating beside him... he felt rather helpless. And now that he'd lost nearly everything, he wondered if it was even worth fighting for anymore. He wondered many things during his boring days within the cave. Often his mind wandered to Harrow. What would he do in this situation? Ah yes, that's right. He would lay down his life in the name of pride.

"Any progress?" he asked Claudia.

"Yes, actually," she said cheerily. She lifted the tome from her pack, flipping through its pages quickly. "Ah, here it is. An earthblood rune! Now all we need is..." She sighed, frowning slightly. "A primal stone."

"Come now, Claudia," said Viren. "Your magical expertise is the reason I still live." He smiled at her. "Surely you can find a spell that imitates the results of the rune?"

"I've tried, Dad," said Claudia. "I don't have any more components. Even if I wanted to try imitating it, I'd need to venture out into the heart of Xadia on my own."

Viren narrowed his eyes, then glanced toward the chrysalis to his right.

"If you would just let me use some of it," Claudia said quietly, "I may be able to fix your broken leg."

"I already told you, Claudia," said Viren. "Whatever emerges from that chrysalis may be our only answer. We cannot compromise it."

"I understand it was your little bug pal," Claudia said. "But look at that thing!"

Viren did. The creature within had been growing day by day, growing long and sprouting limbs. As it turned within its hardened shell, Viren could make out the slight curve of horns atop the anthropomorphic head.

"It's not a bug anymore," Claudia said. "Whatever it started as, it's definitely turning into an elf."

Viren had of course entertained the possibility that the startouch elf was gestating within the disgusting cocoon; it was the only thing he was hanging onto for hope. If he had lost his communication with the powerful mage, then truly all would be for naught. But if it was indeed the elf growing within the chrysalis, then perhaps he could regain everything he had lost atop the storm spire.

"Do not touch it," he said sternly.

"Dad, aren't you forgetting something?" Claudia said worriedly. "It's an elf! It's Xadia, the enemy! And as I recall, we're not on very good terms."

"Perhaps," said Viren. "But we leave the chrysalis alone."

Claudia sighed. "Whatever you say," she said.

Viren turned to the chrysalis once more. The figure inside looked more and more like the elf with every passing minute. The long ears, deep purple skin... He was even able to make out shimmering white freckles across his body, down his limbs and covering his strong back. Viren felt his face warm slightly as he noticed Claudia's eyes on him.

He cleared his throat. "My bones will heal," he said with a note of impatience. "My main concern lies with the elf. While he could be useful to our success, he is bound to be incredibly powerful. We need a safeguard, something to guarantee our protection when he emerges."

"How do you know he's bound to be powerful?" said Claudia. "What if this is how all elves are born? They start as those icky bugs and spin a chrysalis?" She made a face. "Ugh, so gross."

Viren sighed impatiently. "I highly doubt it." He didn't quite know how to explain it to his daughter, that he'd been in constant communication with this elf since the other kingdoms had denied their alliance against Xadia. He sighed again. "Claudia, I know you've done so much for me, and for us. I owe my life to you, literally." He smiled at her, eyes softening in the purple haze. "But you have to trust me."

After a brief moment, Claudia smiled back. "Of course, Dad," she said.

"Good. Then don't worry about my legs for the time being," said Viren. "Focus on finding a spell that will protect us from the force of an archmage."

Claudia raised her eyebrows. "An archmage? Aren't they the most powerful elves in all of Xadia?"

"Yes, which is precisely why we must find a way to defend ourselves against one."

She motioned to the chrysalis. "You think that thing is an archmage?"

"_Trust _me, Claudia."

She sighed, looking down again. "Right. Of course." Suddenly she looked back up, eyes wide. "I almost forgot!" She began digging through her pack, retrieving a small glass vial. It appeared empty, but she carried it with such delicate hands that Viren could only assume it was one of the rarest magical components in the entire world.

His eyes widened slowly, realization dawning on him. "Claudia, that's not..."

"Yes," she said with a timid smile. After all this time, her expression betrayed no pride or confidence, only the pure and childish hope that her father would be proud of her. "I was there when you fell, and I...managed to capture your last breath."

"I had assumed you used it to bring me back," Viren said.

Claudia's expression grew dark, and she looked away, breaking eye contact. "I guess I thought that if I saved it for you, it would be more useful. That's why I..."

Viren understood. Claudia had disposed of the soldier's body several days ago, after the smell became too much for the small enclosed space. Viren reached out to take the vial. He examined it like a father examining his newborn child.

"Claudia, you truly are a genius," he said with a smile. "I am so incredibly proud of you." He watched his daughter's face beam in the dim light of the cave. "With this we can bind the elf's life to my own, ensuring he won't hurt me."

"That's a great idea," said Claudia. "But what if he attacks me instead?"

Viren looked at his daughter. Once upon a time, his initial thought would have been to deny the importance of such a suggestion. Sacrifices are necessary, Claudia, is what he would have said, back before Claudia risked everything, including her own morals, to bring Viren back from the dead.

"You're right," he said quietly. "We'll have to think of a spell that will protect the both of us."

Besides, with Soren out of the picture, who else would uphold Viren's legacy as the one who freed humanity from Xadian oppression?

The rest of the day passed as all the others before them - Claudia went in search of food and Viren sat completely useless in the cavern. He spent some of his time leafing through Claudia's tome, researching what kinds of spells would either heal is broken legs or somehow magically bind his life to the elf's. He did wonder how good an idea it was. If for some reason they had to dispose of him, Viren's own life would be risked. Without his staff, he wasn't even able to trap the elf's spirit within the shiny, reflective surface of a coin like he usually did, saving their vital magical power for a rainy day. Perhaps there was a way to seal his magical power instead, as opposed to his life? Yes, perhaps if the elf killed him or Claudia, it would somehow sever his connections to the arcana instead of taking his life? That way the spell wouldn't be as harmful to the humans if they had to kill the elf.

It could work, but it was risky, and required more components than they had quick access to. It would require something strongly linked to the star arcanum, something only startouch elves could utilize.

Something like the chrysalis. Viren sighed. Claudia had been out for some time now, and Viren had no way of telling how long she'd be. He glanced to the chrysalis. It had stopped squirming so much, the form of the being within much more still than usual. His back was facing Viren, sharpened horns almost ready to pierce through the tough carapace. Viren wondered how much time they truly had to find out a solution.

Fatigue dragged at Viren's eyes. He couldn't imagine why, for he spent nearly all his time doing next to nothing. He thought it might have something to do with the lack of good, deep rest that came with sleeping in a cave, alongside a ceaseless source of light. It couldn't hurt to get a little more shut eye while he waited for Claudia to return.

Sleep came quicker than usual, and Viren found himself in his recurring dream. This time he was watching however, and something rather new happened. The chrysalis peeled its way open to reveal not an elf, but a larger-than-life butterfly. It resembled one of the Xadian insects he kept in his chamber back in Katolis, solely for maintaining his appearance after utilizing dark magic. Its wings were large and glittery, hued a dark purple that faded into the lightest lavender. When they unfolded they covered the entirety of the cave's ceiling, giving Viren the illusion of the night sky.

"Viren," said the butterfly, it's beautiful wings flapping slowly as if to dry them. It was that voice, silky and deep, the one Viren had missed, although he hated admitting it.

"Aaravos?" he said weakly.

"What is it you dream of?" the butterfly said, gazing down at him from its perch on the ceiling with star-filled eyes.

"Why do you keep asking me that?" Viren said, voice lined with something like desperation. Everything around him felt ethereal, hazy, like he was trying to get his footing in his own dream.

"Your dreams for Katolis, for humanity, for yourself." The voice almost sounded smoother than he had ever remembered it, like a cosmic wind blowing through the cavern. "What are they?"

"I... I wish to save humanity," said Viren. "I wish to save..."

"Yourself?" the butterfly finished.

"I don't need saving," Viren said, although his tone didn't even convince himself.

The butterfly laughed, a fluttering sound, not quite like Aaravos's usual laugh. "You already did. Your daughter saw to that. And now, you have no magic."

Viren frowned. "What is going on? Why do you keep coming to me in my dreams?" Things were starting to feel more solid, although Viren couldn't place why.

"You and I are connected, Viren," said Aaravos. "It is through you that I now live. It is because of your actions that I can retake my bodily form. And it is through the power of our connection that I am able to speak with you still. You have rekindled the star arcanum."

"The star arcanum?" Through all of Viren's studies on the magic of Xadia, he had never been able to find any information on the star arcanum.

"Where the earth arcanum deals with the physical body, the star arcanum deals with the spiritual one," Aaravos continued. "Dreams are the territory of the cosmos, where you may project your own spiritual self. You, as you appear right now to me, are not in physical form. Your dream body, on the other hand, is not bound to your...physical limitations."

Viren widened his eyes, looking down at his legs. Slowly, he moved them one by one. Of course, he thought. Why wouldn't he be able to move in a dream? Gradually, he got to his feet. He looked back up to the butterfly, but it had disappeared. Floating there, as if he were laying upside down on the ceiling, was the ethereal form of Aaravos. He grinned down at Viren with slightly hooded eyes.

"You may project your image however you wish," said the elf. He raised his arms so they were folded underneath his head. "You could choose to be a crippled, broken shell of a man... or the mighty King Viren, ruler over all of Xadia." He grinned almost maliciously.

When Viren looked down at his own body again, he was wearing the vestments of the King of Katolis - or was it Aaravos's robes? his dreaming mind couldn't quite tell the difference, although he lifted his hands to feel the Katolisian crown atop his head once more, undamaged. He even stood a little taller.

The upside-down floating figure of Aaravos's head appeared before him, smiling as usual. "That's better."

"What is the meaning of all this?" Viren said.

"Am I not a sight for sore eyes?" Aaravos said, placing a hand on his chest for emphasis. "You certainly are. You are, after all, the reason I am free."

Viren narrowed his eyes. "Not yet."

"Yes, I have heard your discussions over what to do with me when I wake."

Viren froze. "You...can hear us?"

Aaravos smirked. "Every last labored breath."

Viren suddenly found himself remarkably embarrassed. He'd been unable to move from the cave for quite some time. Thankfully Claudia had fashioned a very weak sort of crutch to help him move elsewhere to perform most of his bodily functions, but having no other privacy from the elf, for weeks... The thought made his stomach churn.

"I must say, I am hurt that after everything, I still haven't earned your trust," said Aaravos, feigning disappointment. "You truly believe I do not have your best interests in mind?"

"Somehow, after losing everything atop the storm spire, no," said Viren. "How can I tell if this hadn't been your plan all along, to use me to get whatever power you needed then steal that power for yourself? So you could grow your disgusting worm into a new body?"

Aaravos, still upside-down, made a face of what could only be mild annoyance. "I see," he said. "Yes, I can see how the turn of events might make you think I've only been acting out of self-interest. Perhaps, if you were to allow me one more ounce of your trust, I could prove my devotion to you when I wake?" The wily elf's expression turned back to its usual cunning smile.

Viren raised an eyebrow. "Ah. And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

"It wouldn't be trust if I simply told you, now would it?"

Viren was growing frustrated. "I could burn the chrysalis to the ground," he said.

"You won't," said Aaravos arrogantly. "You didn't destroy the mirror. You followed my every instruction, even when you thought I had betrayed you. And, you have prevented the girl from harvesting my chrysalis for components." He smirked. "Even if it would save your own legs. What true loyalty." He almost sang the last part.

The look in Aaravos's eyes burned a fire within Viren's chest. He wanted to reach out, to strike the blasted elf, but he stayed his hand. "You have said many times that you wish to serve me. What is your gain?"

"My gain?" Aaravos shook his head. "Maybe our gains are the same, you and I."

Before Viren could say or do anything else, he found his eyes fluttering open. The image of Claudia hovering above his head, shouting for him to wake up, assaulted his senses.

"Dad!" she yelled. She reached out and began shaking his shoulders. "Dad, wake up!"

When his eyes had fully opened, Viren sat up. "What is it?" he said.

She wordlessly pointed to the chrysalis. It had begun to fracture where the elf's horns pierced through the top of the hardened - now flaky - shell.

"What do we do now?" she said.

Viren couldn't find his voice as he watched pieces of the shell fall to the ground. Inch by inch the elf's skin was revealed, deep shades of purple dotted by shimmering stars. He suddenly stretched out an arm, reaching all four digits of his hand out as if to touch the ceiling. With a great sigh of what sounded like relief, Aaravos rolled his shoulders and fell from the husk of the chrysalis. He landed on his side with a mild thud, completely exposed.

Viren heard Claudia gasp beside him while his eyes fixated on the slumped form of the startouch elf. His long white hair was slicked to his skin, falling across half of his face. His left leg was mercifully folded over his midsection. Viren couldn't stop his eyes from tracing the slender curve of his form. He was somehow both so powerful looking and so lithe.

He heard the faint shuffling of Claudia's belongings beside him. She appeared by Aaravos's side with the vial of Viren's last breath, her eyes clouded over with the unmistakable purple haze of dark magic.

"Claudia, wait!" Viren shouted, lifting an arm to try and stop her. He couldn't reach, cursing his broken limb.

Thankfully she heard him, and lowered her hand. "Dad?"

"Just...wait." Viren looked to the elf once more. He had landed a few feet away from where Viren had propped himself against the cavern wall; it felt strange to be in such close proximity to the being who had been no more than a hallucination only weeks ago. His mind was racing, with Aaravos's words resonating through it like a storm. He knew he shouldn't simply trust this entity, especially considering how things had turned out atop the spire. But he had nothing left to lose. His only hope rested in the help of this elf - and he refused to let his pride get in the way of his life, like Harrow did.

Aaravos slowly opened his eyes. The smoky irises glowed lightly purple in the fading light of the chrysalis as they made contact with Viren's. A grin appeared on his star-freckled face.

"Claudia, bring him your cloak."

Claudia turned to Viren with wide eyes. "How do you know we can we trust him?"

Viren narrowed his eyes as he continued looking at Aaravos. "We shouldn't." He watched Aaravos's grin widen. "Yet..."

Claudia blinked. "I don't think this is a good idea, Dad."

"Claudia, I won't say this again," Viren muttered. "You need to trust me. Above all else. Now, bring him your cloak."

Claudia didn't say anything more. She leaned down to where she'd neatly folded the cloak she'd worn while escaping the battle at the spire and brought it to where Aaravos lay. She placed it on the ground beside him.

"Leave us," said Viren.

Claudia clearly wanted to protest, but upon looking at her father's expression, held her tongue. She balled her hands into fists, and then released them with a sigh. With that, she turned and left the cave.

Viren lifted himself with a grunt of pain, sliding across the cavern floor so that he sat beside Aaravos. The elf had closed his eyes again, exhaling deeply as he continued rolling his shoulders as if to awaken them from their long sleep. He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes again with a deep exhalation of equanimity.

"Finally," he breathed. With a single gracious movement, Aaravos lifted himself so he was sitting up, face to face with Viren.

The human was suddenly hyper-aware of how close they now were, the elf still slick from his rebirth and...rather indecent. Viren cleared his throat, his face flushing slightly. "Uh, here," he said, reaching for the cloak. As he moved to hand it to Aaravos, the elf's hand reached up and took hold of Viren's wrist. He grinned, eyes filling with what almost appeared to be a look of true gladness.

"You have no idea how long it has been since I've felt the skin, the touch of another," Aaravos said. He traced his fingers along the length of Viren's arm, eyes hooded as he reveled in the sensation.

Viren swallowed, eyes wide. He felt something stir within his gut, or maybe deeper... He almost said out loud that he reciprocated the elf's feelings, except that for him it had been more like a few years rather than a few centuries. Something about the elf's touch on his skin made a chill spark down his spine, and it certainly confused him. He snatched his arm away, not knowing what to say.

Aaravos looked up at him, a tilted smile appearing on his lips. "Forgive me, my lord," he said.

Viren steeled himself, finding his voice once more. "This is your final chance, elf. Give me one good reason to not have Claudia return and end your life before it's even begun."

Aaravos's smile turned into a grin. "Ah yes," he said. "Your trust shall not be wasted." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a moment, he reopened his eyes to reveal a vivid green light within them. He lazily drew a rune in the air, the same earth rune Claudia had found in her tome, and then pressed both of his palms to the ground. He slowly moved them upward until they were right on either side of Viren's legs. Another moment, and Viren could feel the life surging through his limbs once more, weaving and mending where his bones had fractured. He wiggled his toes.

"You...healed me?" Viren said.

Aaravos's eyes returned to normal. "It's the least I can do to earn your continued trust. I am finally here in the flesh to be your humble servant." He pressed a palm to his bare chest, right over the star insignia that seemed to be branded into his skin. "And I never lie." He grinned back up at Viren.

Viren watched the elf carefully. His leg was completely healed now, along with the many bones in his other foot. He could move them freely and without pain. But he stayed where he was. Eventually, he took the folded cloak and covered Aaravos's still-slick midsection with it.

"I will consider your offer," Viren said in a low voice. He got to his feet. "For now, you are my prisoner." He reached for the extra chains Claudia kept in her bag and recited the dark magic spell. "_Mih dnib leets gnirehtils_." The chains morphed into hissing snakes and curled themselves around Aaravos's wrists, forcing them behind his back. When Viren turned to look at him, the elf was sneering up at him with a cheeky expression.

Viren turned to leave the cave.


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you talking about, Dad?" Claudia said.

Viren closed his eyes. "I know it's all a lot to take in," he said. "Should I start from the beginning?"

Claudia nodded. She tucked her whitened hair behind her ear, watching her father curiously. They were seated just outside the cave, the battlefield before them still recovering from the incredible loss it had experienced several weeks ago.

Viren sighed. "Aaravos is an archmage, a master of all six primal elements," he said. "It it through his mastery over all magic that I was able to do the seemingly impossible things that occurred here, at the storm spire."

"I don't understand," Claudia said. "How is that possible?"

"To be perfectly honest," Viren said somewhat sheepishly, "I'm not sure. Perhaps it's a form of star arcanum magic, but it seems to be channeled through my staff." He cast a glance to the top of the storm spire. No doubt it was currently in possession of the enemy.

"Why have you been using the powers of an elven archmage, Dad?" Claudia asked. "Doesn't that sort of stand against everything you're fighting for?"

Viren knit his brow together, a look of concern in his eyes. It was true - the use of Aaravos's powers certainly made him question many of his choices. "I understand the irony," he said. "But now is not the time to ask these kinds of questions. Without his help, we truly and completely have nothing. If it hadn't been for his efforts, we would be bowing to a childish king and submitting to the wrath of Xadia."

Claudia looked away, puzzled. "But he's from Xadia, isn't he? Why would he even help you?"

"It is my understanding that he has certain quarrels with Xadia, particularly their draconic overlords," said Viren. "I wouldn't be surprised if his goal was similar to ours."

"And... what is our goal?"

"To finally eliminate the Xadian threat against humanity," Viren said. "Once elves and dragons are finally put in their place, humanity will be able to flourish."

Claudia was quiet for a long moment. Finally, she said, "Won't that just make the elves angry, and want to overthrow humanity? When does the cycle end?"

"It will end with me," Viren said darkly. "The power I have acquired with dark magic is enough to overcome even the King of Dragons, Avizandum." When Claudia looked confused, he continued, "Thunder. Aaravos seemed rather impressed that I was able to take him down."

"When exactly have you had the time to chat with an elf?" Claudia said, raising an eyebrow.

"Through the purple creature," Viren said. "My, uh... little bug pal. I had never seen a spell like it before, but the elf had me consume a magical elixir and shed my blood-"

"Your blood?" Claudia interrupted. "You...bound yourself in blood?"

"Yes," Viren said. "It was when the other four kingdoms refused alliance. I had no other course of action."

"So...you summoned him?" Claudia said. "And you've been speaking to him through the caterpillar thing? And now, it's turned into the elf?" Her voice was raising as he spoke. "This...doesn't sound good, Dad."

"That doesn't matter anymore," Viren said. "If we eliminate him now, we will truly have nothing."

"But we'll have each other, won't we?" Claudia said. "Dad, who cares about Xadia? I'm sure Ezran will make a great king. He's a good kid. He will find a way to end the war."

"We do not _want_ to end the war," Viren shouted, anger rising in his chest. "Xadia has treated humanity like inferior pests for too long. We have no power without dark magic, and yet they still admonish us for using it. I refuse to accept that with all of this power at my disposal, I am still lesser than any common elf!"

"You mean, _his _power at your disposal?" Claudia nodded toward the inner cave.

Viren paused, eyes wide. After a moment he relaxed again, sighing. "Dark magic is the tool of humans," he said. "It harnesses the power of beings born with a connection to the primal arcana." He looked to Claudia with a sly expression. "Should that not include elves?"

The look of awe on his daughter's face made him smile. "Ohh, ho, ho," she giggled, tapping her nose then pointing at Viren.

Viren got to his feet. The sun was poking its way through the cloud of ash that still drifted through the battlefield. The dark mage's eyes fell on the enormous stone figure of the King of Dragons, the one with Sarai's spear still plunged into its heart. He recalled telling Aaravos the tale of how he and Harrow had brought it down, a look of genuine intrigue on the elf's shimmering, ethereal face. Viren wondered how Aaravos had even known that he'd been the one to bring down Avizandum. He suspected the elf was not telling him everything, that there were still many secrets behind his clever eyes. If he was going to assert his power over the archmage, he needed to learn everything he could.

With a final stretch of his limbs - Viren was quite grateful to have regained the use of his legs-he turned to Claudia. "I will find out everything I can from the elf," he said. "We will leave this wretched place today, and will require more supplies for our journey."

"Where are we going?" Claudia asked.

"To retrieve my staff." With that, Viren turned and headed back into the cave.

Back inside, Aaravos was sitting on the ground, hands still chained behind his back. His legs were folded beneath him, eyes closed in a meditative state. The night before, Viren had put on his robes and given the ceremonial sunfire vestments to the elf to clothe himself. He felt his cheeks flush slightly as he remembered handing the naked Aaravos the tattered white tunic. _Are you going to unchain me, or would you rather you dress me yourself? _The smirk on his face was almost punishing, and Viren had unbound him and turned his back while he waited. A few shuffled noises later, Viren hissed the incantation and Aaravos's hands were chained once more. But he felt the elf's gaze on the back of his neck all the while, sending a chill down his spine.

Aaravos took a deep breath, raising an eyebrow while keeping his eyes shut. "I can sense your...frustrations." He grinned.

Viren watched the elf closely. "You could have bitten me at any time," he said quietly.

Aaravos opened one eye, clearly curious and unsure of where Viren was going with this.

The human continued. "When you bit that sunfire elf, or rather, your caterpillar did. You could have done that at any time. You could have possessed me, or my daughter, anyone." He narrowed his eyes. "What is your game, elf? You cannot possibly be in favor of Xadia's destruction, and yet you keep advocating for it."

Aaravos opened his other eye and sighed in annoyance. "You had all the trust in the world when I was caged behind that mirror," he said. "To your very point, you could have been the target of my hostility from the very beginning, and yet I spared you. Now that I'm here in the flesh, suddenly things are different?" He smirked. "Well then, allow me to humor you. Tell me, Viren, what could I possibly have gained from possessing you? A broken throne, with no claim to it? You must learn to seize the moment when it presents itself to you, not whenever you please. I knew that your incredible cunning and powerful words were more than enough to gain the loyalty of thousands. If I hadn't allowed you to reach the Sunforge as you were, I'd never had rallied the four kingdoms to our cause, let alone make it out of the castle dungeon. True power does not lie with how many spells you know, or how rare your components are. It lies with knowing when, where, and how to use them."

Viren was quiet, pondering his words thoughtfully. He wanted to say something confident, something that showed Aaravos that they were on the same level, playing the same long game. But he was so clearly helpless, so evidently on his last defense, that all he could do was let his shoulders fall slightly as he looked down at the startouch elf.

"Then tell me," he said, "what is our next move?"

Aaravos smiled again. "If I am no longer your prisoner, I'd rather not be chained."

Viren sighed as he turned the chains around the elf's wrists into snakes, making them slither across the ground and tightly around Viren's boot ankle. There was no use trying to feign control anymore. He was in over his head, and all he had at his disposal was to do whatever Aaravos said.

The archmage exhaled in theatrical relief, rubbing his wrists. "That's better." He got to his feet, stretching out until he almost touched the ceiling. "Now, if you don't mind, it has been quite some time since I've seen my homeland with my own eyes."

Viren followed Aaravos as the two of them exited the cave. He watched as the bright sun contracted the startouch elf's pupils, as his brilliant skin sparkled in the light. He looked like an amethyst, or a geode - like the one he had Viren crush while performing the summoning spell. It made Viren wonder about other startouch elves, why they were so rare and reclusive. It made him wonder what made Aaravos different.

The elf sighed, closing his eyes. "The sights, the sounds, the wonderful aromas of Xadia..." He opened them again. "Humanity must miss it all greatly."

Viren quite frankly couldn't care less about Xadia's beauty. All that mattered to him was its inhabitants, the ones that consistently threatened humanity's existence.

"I don't mean to rush you and your reminiscing," he said sardonically, "but if we're to succeed in our goals, we must have a plan in place."

"Yes, of course," Aaravos said, he turned to face Viren, folding his arms across his chest. "In order to achieve our aims we will need something, a device I created long ago."

Viren raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we be trying to get my staff?" he said. "It was the main source of my power."

Aaravos gave him a pointed look. "You...don't have it?"

"It fell from my hand when the moonshadow elf attacked me," Viren said. "It was left upon the storm spire."

A flash of anger crossed Aaravos's eyes. He closed them hastily, then reopened them with a sigh. "No matter. You have me now. You are right, however, the staff was a relic of great strength. Luckily, with our powers combined, we will be able to reclaim it soon."

"Then what is our first task?" Viren said.

"We must return to my home." Aaravos looked at him with an unreadable smile.

"Your home?" Viren's expression betrayed his irritation. "This is not the time for revisiting your childhood!"

"Not to worry, my friend," said the elf. "There is something there we will need in order to regain our forces."

There was a shuffle to their left and Claudia emerged from the shrubbery with a sack full of Xadian fruits. She stopped short when she saw Aaravos, unchained.

"Claudia," Aaravos said, voice somehow silkier than usual. Viren rolled his eyes; Aaravos was laying on the charm. "I've heard so much about you."

"Uh..." Claudia looked to Viren, then back to Aaravos. "I can't really say the same." She giggled a little nervously. "Except for the fact that you're an elf, and... you are an archmage."

"That doesn't matter right now," Aaravos said with a charismatic grin. "What does matter is how you managed to bring your dear father back from the land of the dead." He reached out to run a hand through Claudia's smooth white hair, making her eyes go wide. Viren wanted to step forward and intervene, but something stopped him from doing so. Curiosity, maybe.

"I, uh, used dark magic?" Claudia said.

Aaravos chuckled deeply, pulling his hand away and taking a step backward. He suddenly bowed lightly at the waist, one hand behind his back and the other in front. "I am in your debt."

"You...are?"

"Not only have you unlocked the most powerful aspects of dark magic, but you had the force of will to actually do it." Aaravos smiled at her a little too warmly. "Even the most powerful of elven mages wouldn't dare do such a thing."

Claudia looked away shyly, a frown settling over her face. Viren spoke up, wishing the elf would just shut his mouth sometimes. "We need to travel to Aaravos's home, in order to better plan our next move," he said.

"Okay... What about your staff?"

"There is a relic of even greater importance that we will need," Aaravos said, turning toward the storm spire with his hands behind his back. "A key of sorts. And we'll need to regain our strength for the attack on the dragon prince, and Katolis."

"Katolis?" Claudia said with a wide-eyed gasp. "Wait, why are we attacking Katolis?"

"Why don't you ask your father?" Aaravos said with a sly nod toward Viren.

Viren cleared his throat, turning to Claudia and lowering his voice. "I know you have faith in Ezran," he said. "He was your friend, and brother to Prince Callum. But he's only a child, and he will not abdicate the throne easily again." When Claudia didn't say anything, he continued. "I do not want to attack our home, but we must prepare for the possibility that we are no longer welcome there."

Claudia looked away, then closed her eyes. "I know," she said.

* * *

The trio had been traveling for the entire day, leaving the remnants of the broken battlefield in their wake. Viren spared a few glances back to the storm spire every so often, and the enormous rocky figure of Avizandum. He couldn't help feeling like he was abandoning his quest, his birthright by traveling with Aaravos to his home. He felt like he was along for some ride, doing whatever the elf said. Aaravos said on many occasions that he was here in the flesh to serve Viren, but it didn't quite feel that way. Viren wished he had any tools at his disposal to reverse the roles, to make Aaravos understand that he, High Mage and future King of Katolis, was no one's sidekick. He wracked his brain for anything, any morsel of information he could use against Aaravos, but the elf had been so cagey from the moment they met. It was a tiring task as they journeyed along through the heart of Xadia.

"You are awfully quiet, Viren," Aaravos said, smiling at him with a sideways glance. Claudia was traveling a little farther behind them, gathering magical components with a look of glee as she crossed them. "Why don't you tell me another of your captivating stories?"

"I'm not your minstrel, elf." Viren refused eye contact. "How much farther?"

"So touchy. We'll reach the estate by sundown." Aaravos grinned. "Tell me about the previous king of Katolis, King Harrow."

Viren looked at the elf, then glanced back at Claudia. She was clearly in her own world. "What would you know of him?"

"You risked your life against Avizandum," Aaravos said, eyes clouding over slightly, "for him." After a pause in which Viren prayed the elf would drop it, he continued: "You must have cared for him greatly."

"That's enough," Viren said.

"What? I only wish to know what kind of man he was. His son now sits on the throne, correct? And yet you're clearly not against his downfall. Your relationship with Harrow must have been quite a complicated one."

Viren didn't like the way Aaravos said "relationship." He didn't say anything.

The elf sighed with a smirk. "All right, then. Keep your secrets."

The landscape was gradually morphing from grassy plains to a thick, densely-populated forest. Claudia had gathered into her arms a fuzzy, cute-looking creature, only to have Aaravos mention how its heart could be used in a very potent love spell. That was how most of their communications went; Claudia would bring the archmage a magical component and ask him what kinds of spells could be performed with it. Viren watched their interactions with a mild sense of inadequacy. He couldn't figure out his opinion of Aaravos, still trying to find his trust again, if it was ever there in the first place.

The dusky haze of twilight was gracing the forest when they finally came across an enormous clearing overlooking a cliff the opened up into the wide ocean. Aaravos stopped them and centered himself, drawing a moon rune in the air and whispering an incantation. The words echoed off something invisible, and Viren looked up to see the smoky appearance of a large elven structure manifesting seemingly from nothing. The architecture was undoubtedly moonshadow elven, which puzzled Viren somewhat. But as Aaravos settled the primal spell, he smiled.

"Welcome to my estate," he said.

It was grand, to say the least. Most of it was overgrown and several of the doors and windows were missing. But the tall ceilings and spiraling staircases boasted immense superiority.

"You lived here?" Viren asked as they entered the somewhat derelict structure.

"Not all year round," Aaravos.

"So this was your vacation home?" Claudia said in amazement. She immediately began looking through the dusty books that lay open on the floor, or on wooden side tables. "It's incredible!"

"There's a whole library of magic components and tomes," Aaravos said. "I'm sure it remained untouched so long as the moonshadow spell was in place. Would you like to see it?"

Claudia nodded vigorously. As Aaravos began leading her down a lengthy corridor, she whispered to Viren, "I like this guy."

Viren chuckled, shaking his head. He stood there alone as he waited, glancing around the enormous foyer. The architecture looked familiar, with tall arching ceilings and walls of window leading out to an unkempt garden. Nothing had been nurtured there for quite some time, Viren noted. This whole building must have been protected by the elf's spell for the past several centuries.

Something caught Viren's eye to his left. A large set of double doors was cracked open to what looked like a study of sorts, a hearth off to the far wall covered in dust and ash. It was the doors that caught his attention - he was certain he'd seen them before. Glancing toward where Aaravos had disappeared, Viren took a step toward the room.

Once through the purple doors, Viren recognized the study almost instantly. The tall ceilings, walls lined with curved bookshelves. A large round window covered most of the northern wall, a small silver desk and red chair sitting opposite a fireplace.

"I must admit, I have dreaded coming back here." Viren turned to see Aaravos standing at the door. The elf stepped slowly into the room. "Although, it does feel nice to finally visit in the real world." Aaravos drew a sunfire rune in the air, eyes glimmering a gentle orange as he breathed the words of fire into the hearth. Viren watched him with a veiled expression. The elf's magical capabilities were innumerable, and Viren wondered how he had come to be a master of all six arcana. He'd been rather cagey about anything involving his life all those centuries ago, save for this remotely hidden palace of his. All Viren knew was that there was a relic aside from his staff that held the key to...well, something important. Maybe now was Viren's chance to get some answers.

"This study," said the human nonchalantly, stepping toward the southern wall where, imprinted in the dust, four dashes hinted the presence of a mirror. "This is where you were imprisoned, is it not?"

Aaravos warmed his hands by the fire, humming in delight. "No matter how many times I lit this fire," he said, "I never felt the warmth. Not truly." He turned his dark eyes on Viren. "Yes, my prison was a mirror image of my home."

Viren looked around. He hadn't noticed it immediately, but upon closer inspection everything was in fact flipped to how he had seen it in the mirror. He turned to face Aaravos, expression turning rather stern.

"I've had enough of your cryptic language, elf," he said. "I recall telling you how I downed Avizandum. Now it's your turn to explain something."

Aaravos smirked. "You wish to know how I came to be imprisoned in mirror dimension for a thousand years?" He nodded. "Very well."

The startouch elf paced slowly, eyes alighting on several of the books upon his bookshelves. Viren noticed that many of them had no title; in fact they appeared to more closely resemble notebooks, journals. Were these all Aaravos's writings?

"I told you that by absorbing the dragon prince's power, you could become a true and mighty force to reckon with," Aaravos said. "Well, perhaps I was too...ambitious in my own pursuit of this power. I tried to steal the Avizandum's own power for myself, which in turn resulted in the arrogant beast imprisoning me inside my own mirror." He turned a rare look of solemness to Viren. "Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Viren narrowed his eyes. "Somehow I don't believe the punishment fits the crime."

Aaravos curved his lips in his usual tilted smile.. "That is the reason I became imprisoned," he insisted. "I ventured into the territory of the dragon king's lair. My presence alone I'm sure was enough to tip him off. One attempt to steal his power and he turned the ritual on me, stealing my power from me instead."

"Your power?" Viren echoed. "But you seem as powerful as any mage I've encountered. More so."

Aaravos grinned. "Make no mistake," he said, "I'm the most powerful archmage to ever have existed in Xadia." His confident glower made Viren turn away to the bookshelf, face feeling warm. "But when the dragon king trapped me on the other side, he stole something from me, something vital to my power."

Viren spared another glance toward him, eyebrows raising. Aaravos looked different, almost irritated at having to admit his shortcomings.

"My connection to the star arcanum." Aaravos took a step toward Viren, making the human hesitate. But when the elf reached above his head and pulled a book from one of the shelves, Viren relaxed. "When a magical creature, animal or elven, loses its connection to the primary arcanum of its birth, its power is strongly diminished." He turned a smirk to Viren. "In the case of dark magic, it usually dies."

Viren watched as Aaravos flipped open the book in his hand. It opened to a page where a few notes had been scribbled beside the rough drawing of what must have been a star rune.

"Star magic is the most powerful of all the arcana," Aaravos said. "Without it, I could not escape my otherworldly prison."

"But you did," said Viren.

Aaravos smirked. "With your help."

"I still don't understand," Viren said. "Why wouldn't the dragon king simply kill you?"

"Perhaps to torture me," Aaravos muttered. "Do you not do the same to your elven captives?"

Viren looked away, slightly confused. "I use dark magic for those rituals. You're telling me a dragon of Xadia performed a dark magic spell?" He scoffed as if it were a joke, but when Aaravos said nothing, his smile vanished. "I thought Xadia abhorred dark magic, called it an abomination on life," Viren said. "How could the King of Dragons use it?"

"They seldom admit it due to their arrogance and pride, but dark magic is seen as a last resort to many of the great ones in Xadia," said Aaravos. He handed the book to Viren, who took it cautiously. "Have you studied the history of dark magic, oh High Mage of Katolis? Do you even know where that staff of yours came from?"

"You mean the staff I lost?" Viren said with frustration. "I am no High Mage, let alone King. No thanks to you."

"I gave you everything you needed to conquer that whelp of a dragon," Aaravos said. "Maybe I...underestimated the moonshadow elf."

"Wonderful," said Viren. "Next time why don't you stop accusing all other beings in Xadia of arrogance, and take all possible outcomes into consideration before making me risk everything?"

"All in due time, my friend," said Aaravos. "You need to have patience and trust."

Viren scowled. "I have no staff, a broken crown, no powers of the dragon prince. All we truly achieved from your guidance is your own freedom, so do forgive me for not accepting my fate so easily. I still haven't decided whether or not I'm going to keep you alive, let alone trust you." He tried turning his attention to the book in his hands, feigning a sense of aloofness to show the elf he was finished with their discussion.

"Keep me alive?" Aaravos's deep chuckle filled the small room, adding music to the crackling fire. His aura suddenly turned agitated, almost spiteful. "Yes, Viren," he sneered, the human's name rolling off his tongue like molasses. "I told you I do not lie; you upheld your end of our unspoken bargain and now I will do my part." Within seconds, Viren found himself pressed against the wall, a grunt of pain escaping his lips as he turned his face to not get crushed. The book he'd been perusing fell to the ground beside him, both of his arms now at his sides.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, feeling Aaravos's strong arms against his shoulders. The elf leaned into him, and Viren could feel his heart begin racing. "Unhand me, _elf_."

Aaravos continued his monologue in a hushed tone, as if he hadn't heard Viren speak: "I am here to give you what you want. But do not for one second think that I could not end you on a whim, if I so much as fancied a little peace and quiet."

Viren was breathing heavily as the elf hissed in his ear, feeling his whispered words like a gentle breeze. He swallowed, lips moving wordlessly, unable to summon his voice.

Aaravos raised an eyebrow, sly smile tilting his lips. "What's the matter, King Viren? No swift, confident retort?"

Viren was trying desperately to prevent all the blood in his body from drifting toward his groin, as if that were something he could do on sheer force of will. His mind was thrown back to the throne room in Katolis, when Harrow made him kneel before him like the truly powerful king that Viren had always wanted him to be. Even then he had to fight his primal desires, as Harrow forced his will upon the other man. He silently panicked with wide eyes as he felt Aaravos lean even closer, the bulge in his pants pressing up against the human's backside. The cold stone wall that pressed against Viren's cheek also pressed against his tightening crotch, thankfully stopping it from growing too much for comfort.

The chuckle that emerged from Aaravos made Viren furious, and he grit his teeth defiantly.

"Ah, what's that I sense?" the elf purred. "Could it be the power-hungry King Viren enjoys a little... disobedience?"

"I said, unhand me," Viren said, glad to finally find his voice. He tried glaring daggers into the elf's eyes, but couldn't turn his head enough to make eye contact. It was humiliating.

"Is that really what you want?" Aaravos said, drawing out the "really" with a grin.

"You are to do as I say!" Viren said. "If what you say is true, that you are here to serve me, then you will unhand me this instant."

After a brief moment where Viren wondered if the elf really would end him where he stood, he breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure on his shoulders lessened. Aaravos stepped away, putting a solid distance between himself and the human. Viren pushed away from the cold wall, brushing the dust from his right cheek and vestments. He paused before turning around, concentrating while the tightness in his pants went away. He turned around slowly, feeling a slight chill curl down his spine at the sultry look Aaravos had been giving him. He suddenly felt marked for prey by this elven predator, as if some invisible signal had passed between the two of them. He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on maintaining his composure.

"You are only alive because I allowed you to be," Viren said calmly. "I could have killed you the moment you emerged from that chrysalis. You are here to serve a purpose, nothing more. If you lay a hand on me again, I promise you I will find a way to permanently sever your connection to the other five arcana."

The look on Aaravos's face told Viren that quite a feat would prove impossible, but the elf said nothing to confirm it. He smiled, eyes slightly hooded and said gently, "Of course, my lord. I am your humble servant."

Viren watched the elf's lips move and unconsciously wet his own. He saw Aaravos's eyes dart downward to watch, a grin blossoming on his startouched face. Normally Viren would be impossibly embarrassed, but his mind was far away, suddenly wanting to tell the elf to get on his knees like Harrow had made him not long ago. He envisioned the other man obeying his instructions to untie his tunic and free his erection, imagined feeling his breath, his tongue, his lips...

Viren snapped back to reality, clearing his throat. Without another word he turned to leave the room, feeling the wily eyes of the elf on the back of his neck.

When Viren made it to an empty room, nearly desolate of any furnishings, down the lengthy corridor, he shut the door and nearly collapsed against it. What was wrong with him? He never imagined the elf would have this kind of effect on him. Certainly it had been quite some time since he'd enjoyed the physical affections of another, but an elf? The thought made him want to die of shame. As useful as Aaravos had been, he was still from Xadia, still the enemy, as Claudia had mentioned the day before the chrysalis broke open. And regardless of how often Aaravos promised him he would come through on his word, that he would eventually fulfill Viren's wishes to bring prosperity to all humans, he still couldn't allow himself to trust the startouch elf. It was becoming increasingly clear just how powerful Aaravos was, given how much he was still capable of even with his primary arcanum missing. Then again, maybe keeping a being as powerful as he was on Viren's side wasn't such a bad idea. He remembered how intensely his heart began beating when Aaravos pushed him against the wall, how much he suddenly in that very moment remembered how sexually unsatisfied he'd been for nearly a decade. He thought of his wife, how they'd stopped being intimate a few years before she left. He thought about the one heated night he and Harrow had gotten too drunk on moonberry ale and stumbled back to the young prince's bedchamber, unaware of where the night was headed until Viren in a blur found himself on top of the future king of Katolis, tasting the ale on his best friend's lips. He also remembered Harrow's slurred words as he stopped Viren from going any further, remembered the awkward apology Viren issued the morning after, promising it meant nothing.

Viren rubbed his eyes wearily. He'd barely had the time or energy to touch himself in the past several years, let alone lay with another. He had lost everything when he fell from the storm spire. Now was hardly the time to spend on his own bodily pleasures. His groin was still throbbing from the close encounter with Aaravos, however tame it had been in retrospect. Viren, for the first time in a very long time, wanted to feel the satisfaction of release, wanted to feel the soft caress of another against his skin.

But never in his life would he ever share his bed with an elf.

He groaned in frustration, leaning his head back against the door as Aaravos's sultry expression flashed through his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Wow, thank you to those of you who decided to give this story a follow even though I haven't updated in a bajillion years! I'm not good at this kind of thing so it's taking me more time to write it. Also I have no idea where the show is actually going so I have to make that up too. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Viren had many dreams that night. On several occasions he was the King of Katolis, once even the dragon king of Xadia. His eyes were always in a permanent state of darkness, as if dark magic now flowed through his veins and powered his very being.

But one dream stood out to him the most, the one in which he was with Harrow. He felt like a child for having such dreams, and knew at this point they truly meant nothing. But he saw Harrow smile again as a looked at his children, serving them a each a plate of pancakes at their winter home, the Banther Lodge. Viren watched from a quiet, dark corner, feeling a sort of vicarious happiness stir within him. His own children were there too, but they were fixated on their mother.

Their mother. Viren's wife. They were still technically married by law, but he hadn't seen her in years. Her straight dark hair fell over her eyes and she pushed it behind her ears, smiling warmly as Soren gave her a small trinket of some kind. He was a boy, probably 6 years old. Then Claudia turned to Viren, her eyes darkening to match his.

"You made me choose," she said in a whisper, although Viren heard it through the bug on his ear. "Now Mom _and_ Soren are gone. You must have no heart."

Viren felt his shallow happiness turn to ash. He looked down at his chest where a hole had appeared. Empty. Callous. Heartless.

Viren opened his eyes calmly, gazing up at the tall ceiling. Morning was breaking through the window, and his back hurt like hell. He hadn't dared leave the room in which he confined himself after his moment with Aaravos last night, so he made to sleeping on the floor with only his arm to cushion his head. Sure enough, it had lost feeling.

He looked down. Regardless of the pain coursing through his spine, he was still quite... awake. The tightness in his trousers was a common occurrence in the morning; he simply rarely allowed himself the chance to act on it. He was prepared to do the same, to shake off the restless sleep and grit his teeth against the morning. He was starving, at least he could focus on that.

_Could it be the mighty King Viren enjoys a little... disobedience?_

Viren closed his eyes. No, he told himself. He needed to proceed forward with caution in order to maintain the control in their relationship. He had to forget that sultry look, had to get those starry eyes and that sinful voice out of his mind. He certainly couldn't allow himself to imagine again those soft, smirking lips wrapped around his length, pulling and sucking in all the right ways, tongue lashing outward to taste every inch of him...

Viren felt his groin throbbing uncontrollably, growing harder as he envisioned the elf on his knees in front of him. He wanted to touch himself, to feel that delicious release he craved so intensely. He curled his fists in defiance. Maybe if he thought of someone else, like Harrow. Just not the elf.

He grabbed himself hastily, finally caving to the undeniable desire. He had no idea what was coming over him; he hadn't felt this libidinously driven since he was in his twenties at least. It was as if the mere presence of this elf had him on a ledge, unable to back down. He couldn't stand how it made him feel. He tried to muster up images of Harrow, but he hadn't felt a sexual attraction toward him for decades. He tried thinking of anyone else - Amaya, Opeli, Corvis... each time his mind shifted back to Aaravos. The startouch elf's golden eyes surrounded by darkness, the tilted smile that told Viren he was up to no good... It made Viren grow hot as he started pumping faster. He was panting now, feeling like an immature teenager for doing what he was doing. He was disgusting, filthy. He hated himself...

"Dad? Come on wake up, I've made breakfast!" Claudia's singing voice penetrated through the wooden door.

Viren nearly gasped, letting go of his member and hastily stuffing it back into his trousers. He was still breathing rather heavily as the realization of safety washed over him. Claudia hadn't burst through the door, like Soren might have if he were there with them.

"Yes, okay," he said, then rolled his eyes at the irony. "I'm coming."

"Okaaay," Claudia sang, and Viren heard her footsteps fade down the hall.

He let out the breath he'd been holding, brow furrowing in frustration. He glanced down at his midsection, the tightness already fading rapidly along with his juvenile hopes of climax. He sighed, and got to his feet with a grunt of pain from the tension in his back.

Down the hall, Viren smelled pancakes. He wondered if the smell was what had influenced his dreams. They certainly were enticing, but he had to steel himself. He couldn't reveal any of his emotions upon seeing Aaravos. He had to maintain some sort of composure, be it distance or nonchalance.

With a final sigh, he followed the scent of freshly made breakfast to a rather spacious kitchen, clearly intended for a cooking staff, with an open dining area to the right. The kitchen itself was fitted with all sorts of hanging cooking utensils and cookware, along with a large burning hearth beneath a cauldron in the middle. Almost every surface was spotless, a stark contrast from everything else in the derelict vacation home. Aaravos was nowhere to be found.

"Don't worry," Claudia said. She stood by a hot pan, a chef's hat atop her head. Viren didn't bother asking where she had gotten it. "I used a little bit of dark magic to clean everything. This may as well be a brand new kitchen! Aaravos has a whole storage room of magical components. We could do any spell out of my tome. It's incredible!" She placed a plate of pancakes on the wooden countertop by Viren.

"Uh-huh," said the man cautiously. "And, um..." He cleared his throat. "Where is Aaravos?"

"No idea," Claudia said. "Just take a moment to relax, Dad. Eat something! We've had nothing but slimy purple fruit since you, uh, you know. Woke up."

Viren raised an eyebrow at the plate before him. He probably did need to relax. Maybe all of his stress and physical recovery was interfering with his ability to concentrate on anything but his primal needs. He sat down, deciding to try and forget about the elf for one small and simple meal with his daughter.

"Dad," Claudia said as she sat down next to him, "why do you think Soren..." A frown rested on her face. "Why would Soren leave us?"

Viren looked at her, mirroring her sad expression. "I don't know. Perhaps I failed as a father."

"What? No, of course not. You're the strongest person I know."

Viren smiled, but his eyes were still despondent. "The truth is," he said, "I believed Soren was capable of much greater things. I believed he had the strength of will to carry through. But it appears that trust was misplaced." He turned to Claudia with a smile. "You have shown more strength of will than I ever thought possible. I am so very proud of you, Claudia."

Claudia bloomed with pride, tucking a lock of white hair behind her ear. "I just want us to be a happy family." She looked down again, appearing crestfallen. "And now we're just cut in half."

"I know it seems that way. But remember what I said when we were rallying the troops to our cause? Those who were weak of will were deemed deserters. We were stronger without them to hold us back. Made more whole by losing what only made us weaker."

"But he's my brother, your son," Claudia lamented. "I don't believe he would..." Tears began welling up in her eyes.

Viren needed another angle. "Well, maybe he will return to us one day, when he's found his strength once more. The world is a confusing place. We have to give him the opportunity to realize what the right path is, on his own."

Claudia nodded. "Yeah, maybe that's it. He'll realize his mistake. He has to."

Viren leaned back in a muted triumph. "For now we have each other, right?"

Claudia grinned at her father, wiping away the tears from her green eyes. "Always. I'll never leave you, Dad."

Viren smiled, finishing up his breakfast. A significant part of him did not relish the manipulation. But Aaravos's words often flickered through his mind. _Careful. If you tell the truth, you will lose her. _

"Ah, there you are." The smooth voice like a Neolondian whiskey made Viren's eyes widen. He felt a four-fingered hand rest on his shoulder, and he jumped in his seat.

"Whoa, Dad, are you okay?" Claudia asked.

Viren turned to look at Aaravos. The elf was smirking his usual sideways smirk, hand lifted as if to abdicate any notion of blame. "My apologies," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Viren tried to stop his heart from racing, as he straightened his back. A stifled pain shot up his spine, but he ignored it to the best of his ability.

"No, it's fine," Viren said. "I'm just a little jumpy is all. Forgive me for not feeling entirely safe in enemy territory."

"Ah," Aaravos said. "I'm sorry you're not... feeling yourself this morning." He grinned.

Viren's polite smile vanished. The elf couldn't possibly have meant it as a double entendre. He glanced to Claudia, who still looked concerned. But Aaravos had a malicious look in his eyes as he looked down at Viren, and the human felt incredibly small beneath his gaze. He needed to move on, change the subject before his mind journeyed back to the place it had been before Claudia interrupted him.

Aaravos was quicker, however. "You disappeared last night too quickly for me to divulge our reason for coming here." Another smirk as he placed something on the table before them. It was a jar, cylindrical and stopped with some sort of magical seal, full of squirming purple caterpillars.

"Ewwww," Claudia said, face scrunching up in disgust. "What do we need those for?"

"Cosmic Dragonheads are the kindred creatures of startouch elves, like Archangel Lunaris are to the moonshadow elves," Aaravos explained. "We can use them for most of the magical spells we'll be needing."

"You would use your own kindred creature?" Claudia said.

Aaravos raised an eyebrow at her. "The power one can achieve from a kindred creature is immense, as you can imagine." He gestured to himself. "We'll need them if we're to make any strides against our enemies."

"And what exactly will we use them for?" Viren questioned.

"Unless you would like to travel the rest of the way on foot," Aaravos said, "a quick transfiguration spell will make reliable steeds out of them."

Viren felt a palpable release of stress leave his body. He was sure that the pain in his back was not only a product of sleeping on the floor, but also of traveling on foot for so long. He may have gotten his legs back via magical means, but he had been immobile for nearly three weeks before then. At the very least he was out of shape. Not to mention the physical toll coming back from the dead must have taken.

"We can turn them into horses or something?" Claudia said, tapping against the glass of the jar.

Aaravos laughed, the sound drawing Viren's attention. "You're in Xadia, child," he said. "We can turn them into anything."

Claudia widened her eyes in glee. "Oh man, can mine be a dragon? Ooh! Or maybe a giant large cat."

Aaravos smirked, but his eyes were on Viren now.

The human sighed. "We shouldn't draw any extra attention while we're in Xadia," he said. "Perhaps there is something a little less noticeable we could use?"

Aaravos nodded. "Once we're back in Katolis, we can make as much noise as we like." He grinned as he spoke. "But for now, we must remain inconspicuous."

Claudia huffed a wordless protest, but said nothing else.

"So we have the dragonheads," Viren said. "What do we do next?"

"We must journey even further into Xadia," Aaravos said. "There is a great hub of magic in the heart of the east. We will grow our army there."

Viren absently wondered if it was a trap. At this point however, he decided the elf had little reason to do away with him. "How will we do that without getting caught?" he asked.

"There are many spells we can utilize," said Aaravos. "Perhaps you could join me in my study?" He was looking somewhat pointedly at Viren, who cleared his throat.

"Anything you would say to me, you can say in front of my daughter," he said.

Claudia looked up suddenly, eyebrows raised. She glanced between the two men quickly. "Oh, right," she said, then lifted her shoulders in a mock stance of high status. "We can adjourn to the study at your leisure."

Viren blinked at her, then sighed. "Uh, why don't you join us later, perhaps?"

"There is a garden in much need of nurturing," Aaravos said. "Perhaps your dark magic abilities can help revive it? We'll need many of its plants for the journey ahead."

Claudia glanced between them again, eyes narrowed. "Fine," she said. "But one of these days I'm going to have a secret meeting with the dark, mysterious startouch elf." She smirked and waggled her fingers in the air before leaving the kitchen.

"She is not to be underestimated, clearly," Aaravos muttered. "What she lacks in tact she makes up for in magical expertise. She will prove very useful."

"I told you once before," Viren said. "She is not a tool to use. She is my daughter."

Aaravos smiled. "Of course. Shall we?" He picked up the jar of dragonheads.

Viren followed the elf to the study, keeping his composure intact to the best of his ability. He rolled his shoulders, stretched his neck, anything to focus on the task at hand. He needed to approach interactions with the elf as if he were in control. Which he was, of course. Except for zero leverage and strong lack of magical prowess compared to him. But Aaravos said it was his cunning ability with words that made him a promising partner, and so he would use that to his advantage.

When they entered the study, Aaravos shut the door behind them. "Unfortunately, what I hoped to find is not here," said the elf. He put down the jar of insects with an uncharacteristic sigh. "I'm not entirely surprised; Avizandum must have sent moonshadow elves to search for it."

"What is it, exactly?"

"The key to my power," Aaravos said. "A cube that contains traces of all six primal arcana. In a last ditch effort to preserve my power I locked my connection to the star arcanum within it. I'm hardly surprised Avizandum found it."

Viren felt his brow furrow together. The object he was describing... it sounded vaguely familiar. He'd seen something similar before, he was sure of it. A toy, perhaps...? "I thought you said Avizandum stole your power?" He paused to turn a glare at the elf. "So much for never lying."

"I said he forced my hand," Aaravos said. "So while I'm sure you would savor the idea that your trust is misplaced, I assure you my integrity remains intact."

Viren cleared his throat. "So, it's not here?" he said.

"The dragonheads will be a good resource, along with any components we can gather," Aaravos continued, "but if you want to conquer Xadia, we will need to find that key. We cannot travel to the nexus without it."

Viren paused for a moment, observing. Then he said, "Tell me, how does a grand archmage of Xadia come to own a large treasury of magical components-come to use dark magic so freely?"

Aaravos smiled. "You know nothing of the history of dark magic. Has it not occurred to you that it is not recognized as an official form of magic because it does not come from from the dragons or elves?"

Viren's eyes widened slightly. "You're saying... it's human-made?"

Aaravos smirked with a shrug. "Not entirely, but perhaps made with humans in mind."

"How does someone simply _make _a form of magic? Why?"

A darkness spread in Aaravos's eyes as he grinned at Viren. "Why not?" After a moment, where Viren said nothing: "Humans were struggling, with their magical counterparts spitting in their faces. Maybe you could say I felt... sorry for them."

Viren turned away, attempting to mask his expression of complete and utter awe. "Are you saying... _you _created dark magic?"

He couldn't see the elf's face but knew very well how to envision it. He had been getting quite good at envisioning it. And as he felt his footsteps draw nearer, practically heard the grin on his breath, he felt his heart begin to race.

"Does that frighten you?" Aaravos muttered from behind Viren's shoulder. "Or perhaps give you a much deeper sense of what I can do to help you?"

Viren swallowed. He needed to keep his composure intact. He closed his eyes, steeling himself. "It certainly makes me think twice about letting you walk beside us. You're a wild animal, a force of magical chaos. We need you for our cause, but perhaps you should still be imprisoned." He needed to turn back around, to look his inferior in the eye in order to convey dominance. But as he did, as he saw the sultriness of Aaravos's expression, he felt his composure crack at the edges. His heart was racing. He needed to get out of this room. This huge room, in which the elf simply _had _to stand only a foot away from him. "It's a good thing we have a whole storage room full of components to seal you away once more, and a jar of dragonheads to communicate."

He moved to pick up the jar on the table, but was stilled by Aaravos's firm grasp around his wrist. The elf's face was inches from his own now, and Viren couldn't prevent his blood from coursing downward. There he was, on that ledge, the archmage standing behind him.

"_Trust me_," was all Aaravos whispered, and Viren felt like he'd had too much ale. Was this a magical spell? Was he somehow entranced by the elf, unable to act on his own will? He felt Aaravos's hand loosen around his wrist, but he did not reach for the jar again.

"When we met," Viren said breathing slightly more heavily, "you said I shouldn't trust you."

"And did I not earn your trust?"

"It doesn't matter. You made me believe you are untrustworthy by telling me I shouldn't trust you."

Aaravos smirked, the darkness returning to his eyes. "I don't _make _anyone believe anything. You believe what you see, what you feel." He raised his eyebrows, smirking again. "Or perhaps what you _want _to feel."

"One wrong move," Viren said, "and you'll join my elf collection."

"I highly doubt it," Aaravos sneered.

"You were still incredibly useful as an ethereal, floating body," Viren said, clearing his throat and praying it did not betray his lack of levelheadedness. "I don't see why you shouldn't remain so."

Aaravos grinned. "You need me in the flesh, Viren," he said. "Imprison me again and my full power will never be yours to use."

"Then I will free you once we have restored that power. For now, your physical body is of no use to me."

"Physical bodies have their uses."

Viren was acutely aware of how close Aaravos was; he could smell his scent and hear his light breathing. He could faintly remember the feel of his skin, when he had reached out and grabbed Viren's arm back in the cave. He was starting to feel faint.

"I haven't had a body in quite some time," Aaravos continued. He started trailing his fingers up Viren's wrist along his forearm. "It's so very nice to _feel _again..."

Viren felt his blood boil. He had maintained composure long enough, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He suddenly reached out and pushed Aaravos away. "I will not remind you again, elf," he said, calm voice hiding the anger he now allowed himself to feel. "Remember your place."

Aaravos leaned a little closer, grin spreading across his star-freckled face. "Why don't you remind me where my place is? Is it behind you, like it was last night?" He was merely inches away. "You speak so strongly, yet your body tells a different story."

Viren's eyes widened. He didn't want to look down, didn't want to admit to his bodily reactions by acknowledging Aaravos's words. He cleared his throat again. "I will not be talked to this way by my servant, by an elf no less," Viren said, feeling the serenity he portrayed cracking at the edges. "Start acting like one."

"Or what?" Aaravos ventured. His golden eyes glinted playfully.

"I will use every ounce of magic in this place to imprison you once more," Viren said. "All it will take is one word to Claudia, and she will take away your freedom forever."

A pair of swift, light purple hands reached out and slammed against Viren's shoulders, pushing him into the study wall. His face hovered above Viren's and the human felt like he was drowning in intoxication. He felt his groin tighten even further, felt his heart racing. Aaravos was breathing heavily, an almost crazed grin across his startouched face.

"Perhaps I haven't made myself clear," he said in a low voice, smooth yet full of anticipation. "Make no mistake, I _am _here to serve you, Viren. I serve the downfall of Xadia, the rise of a new and powerful Viren the Conquerer. But no one, not a single human nor an entire army of high dragons will be able to take my freedom from me again. Perhaps you have all the magical components you need, but I am an archmage, and can summon all of Xadia's magic at my very fingertips. Maybe it's time you recognize who truly needs whom."

Viren was breathing heavily. He felt sweat condensing at his brow, felt lightheaded from the blood rushing to his groin. He wasn't going to make it...

Aaravos grinned menacingly. "I want you to say it. '_I need you, Aaravos._'"

Viren grit his teeth, closed his eyes. He was small, so insignificant, at Harrow's feet, being told to obey.

Aaravos leaned in closer, turning his head as if to hear better. "Say it."

Another moment of begrudging silence, then: "I need you, Aaravos."

The elf sighed dramatically, a smile resting on his face. He didn't loosen his grip on Viren's shoulders, however. "Ah, that's more like it. Now, tell me what else you need."

Viren opened his eyes wide again, turning a shocked look on the elf. "I beg your pardon?"

Aaravos sighed. "Normally I revel in the exquisite game of cat and mouse, Viren," he said. "But centuries of imprisonment make one crave immediacy."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Viren's voice cracked, and he wanted to disappear. He felt powerless, and it made him even crazier.

"Torture yourself all you want," Aaravos muttered. "Or...you can let me." He smirked.

Viren was at his tipping point. He let out a soft groan and Aaravos chuckled, the sound intoxicating him even further. He was just about to say it, just about to _shout _it, that all he needed in this moment was for the powerful archmage to show him just how powerful he was, when -

"But perhaps I can wait a little longer." Aaravos released Viren's shoulders, taking a step back. "It's been several centuries. What's a couple more days? I'll find my satisfaction elsewhere." He cast a final smirk at Viren before turning and exiting the study.

Viren watched in shock, nearly tumbling over from the sudden weakness in his legs. He couldn't think anymore, couldn't clear the fog from his head. He stumbled over to the study door and pressed his hand against it, fumbling for the lock. Once he was certain he wouldn't be disturbed, he pressed his back to the door and unbuttoned his pants.


	4. Chapter 4

Viren watched the unmistakable patterns of the dark magic spell unfold before him: a dragon's scale, a hoof from some unknown magical creature, and a Xadian flower all crushed beneath the startouch elf's palm, then whirling together into the air before him. It was remarkable to Viren how the archmage never seemed to recite anything, even when he used primal runes. Perhaps that was part of being an archmage, he pondered in envy.

The dragonhead caterpillars resting on the ground became absorbed in the floating purple essence as Aaravos transfigured them into riding steeds, ethereal sparkling creatures with long antennae and stomping hooves. If Viren hadn't known what they originally came from, he would have been impressed with their beauty. Before he tried harvesting it for components, that is.

He had his arms folded across his chest, watching from the grand estate's open doorway as Aaravos performed the magic he claimed to have invented. He was going to get answers today, and this time, he wouldn't allow the charismatic elf to twist the situation. He finally had a level head now that he was able to achieve some...release.

"Why do you always look at him like that?"

Viren looked at Claudia, who was hoisting a bag full of magical components through the door. She stopped to put it down for a moment, hands on her hips as she looked at her father. He wanted to say something elusive, something that told Claudia very little but spoke volumes about how he felt. But he turned his gaze back to Aaravos, who was playfully scratching the underside of one of the steed's chins.

"He's an... unusual elf," was all he said.

"Uh, aren't all elves unusual?" Claudia muttered.

"He acts like no elf I've ever encountered," Viren continued.

"Do you know why he's helping us?"

That's where Viren was unsure. Given the display of dominance the previous morning, he wasn't sure what the elf's game was anymore. Why was he keeping Viren around?

Claudia sighed. "Well, it doesn't look like we have much of a choice," she said. "He's incredibly strong with all kinds of magic. I thought elves hated dark magic."

"He, uh..." Viren hesitated, wondering how much he should divulge. But given his understanding of the dynamic between himself and Aaravos, he wondered if he should be placing more trust in his daughter, who had already proven her loyalty time and time again. "He may be the reason we have dark magic at all."

"What?" Claudia's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I think this archmage invented it somehow."

"I am flattered that you think so," came Aaravos's lilting voice as he turned to face them. "But no one can simply create magic out of nothing. There are only the primal sources, created by Xadia herself." He smirked, stepping toward them with his hands behind his back. "That is the grand hypocrisy of Xadia's draconic overlords. They think dark magic to be an abomination, a construct of makeshift magic created by humans. But they couldn't be more wrong."

Aaravos stopped and leaned forward, grinning down at Claudia. Viren felt his chest tighten, uncomfortable whenever the elf made his daughter the target of his attention.

"Dark magic has always existed. Why shouldn't it be used, along with the rest of the primal sources?" Aaravos raised an eyebrow.

"Something do with using the life force of innocent creatures, I'm told," Viren muttered.

Aaravos rolled his eyes. "As if dragons are not guilty of consuming innocent creatures. How is dark magic any different?"

Claudia looked down at her bag of components. "I never thought of it that way."

"The dragons have Xadia convinced humans are unworthy of magic," Aaravos muttered, his usual playful tone diminishing. "But they are jealous, fear-mongering oppressors. So no, I did not invent dark magic. I merely... showed humanity what it was missing."

Claudia looked back up, and Viren saw the curious look in her eyes. "What did humans do to deserve the dragons' hatred anyway?"

"Nothing," Aaravos said. He wasn't grinning anymore, the sparkle in his dark eyes gone. He looked solemn, maybe even melancholy. "Dragons are power-hungry and frightened of anyone threatening their authority." He paused. "It's time they're put in their place."

Aaravos spared a passing glance at Viren before heading back inside, presumably to gather more supplies.

"That was weird," Claudia muttered. "What do you think happened with him and the dragons?"

Viren glanced over his shoulder at the archmage. "I have no idea."

Claudia reached down to pick up her bag, hoisting it up with a grunt. Viren was lost in thought while she carried to the dragonhead steeds. His mind kept wandering to the look of slight despair in Aaravos's eyes. Clearly something happened long ago to elicit such strong emotions about the dragons of Xadia. But what?

"Where are we going, anyway?" Claudia said.

Viren was growing tired of having to say his response: "I don't know. The elf and I talked about what we need to find but we have no idea where to find it."

"What is it?"

"A key of sorts. He hasn't told me much else about it."

"A key, huh?" Claudia held a hand to her chin as if deep in thought. It wasn't long before her eyes grew wide. She inhaled a gasp, looking at Viren with a shocked excitement. "I knew I recognized his name!"

"What, what is it?" Viren said.

"Aaravos! I read that name once somewhere, but I can't quite remember..."

Viren remembered researching anything he could find on the strange startouch elf, seeing the words and pictures morphing into darkness as he tried reading. He leaned toward Claudia, eyes wide. "Try to remember, Claudia. Any information we can get will be useful."

The spark of recognition hit Claudia's eyes. "That's it! I read it in a letter from King Harrow! He mentioned the Key of Aaravos!" Her eyes and shoulders fell slightly, a frown replacing her excitement. "He wrote it to Callum, on the night he..."

Viren swallowed. He needed to hold his tongue. While Claudia was loyal and a wonderful asset, he couldn't lose her by revealing too much of the truth. "Yes, of course. How did you get a hold of his letter?"

"I, uh..." She sheepishly tucked a white lock of hair behind her ear, looking away. "Callum dropped it when he and Ezran escaped with the dragon egg. I returned it to him, but may have sneaked a peek and resealed it with dark magic... I'm sorry, Dad. I know that's icky."

"No, no," Viren said with a smile. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It may have just saved our cause. What did the letter say about this key?"

Claudia looked up at him hopefully. "I remember King Harrow talking about it being able to unlock something of great power in Xadia... and that it's hidden in the game room of the Banther Lodge!"

Harrow's winter vacation home. He needed to tell Aaravos. "Claudia, you never cease to amaze me." He smiled down at her, feeling the tension in his face. He loved his daughter, he was sure of it. At least, he knew he did, logically. But something always felt contrived when he smiled reassuringly at her.

Perhaps that didn't matter now.

As Claudia finished readying their dragonhead steeds, Viren ventured back into the derelict mansion. He disliked being alone with the elf, but had to steel himself. He found Aaravos standing by a large curved window, looking downward at something resting on the sill. It was a glass dome, magically sealed with what looked like a moonshadow rune.

"An...apple?" Viren said. "I assumed apples were only in the human kingdoms."

"They are," Aaravos said, before breaking the seal and lifting the glass dome. The apple disintegrated, becoming a shriveled husk of a core. He picked it up delicately. "But the human kingdoms and Xadia were once a single, unified land. I could have an apple whenever I wanted." He smiled.

Viren cleared his throat. "Claudia may know something about your key. It somehow fell into Harrow's hands, long before the war started."

Aaravos's expression returned to its usual conniving look. He crushed the apple core in his palm, letting the crumbled dust fall to the ground. "She is something, isn't she?" He smirked at Viren. "Perhaps she should be the one to conquer Xadia?"

Viren raised an eyebrow. "She is smart but still rather naive. It is her...incredible loyalty to her family that drives her spirit."

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Aaravos fastened his cloak around his shoulders. He looked pleased to be wearing his normal vestments again, and Viren couldn't help his eyes from drifting downward, admiring how the clothes fit his lithe form not to mention his open chest revealing startouched skin. "She is valuable for more than just her loyalty to you, but to her friends. She knows more about the young human princes, information we can use to find the dragon prince once more. No doubt they've left the storm spire by now."

Viren grit his teeth. "No matter what happens, she must stay safe."

Aaravos grinned. "Of course."

Viren sighed. "The letter she read mentions Harrow's old winter vacation home. We might find your key there."

"A letter?"

"From Harrow to his eldest son, Callum. He sent the princes to the winter home to protect them from the moonshadow elves." Viren inwardly scoffed; yet another way in which Harrow had failed as a king.

"Excellent," Aaravos said, walking up to Viren. He stopped so his face was inches from the human's, grinning slyly. "We should get going, then, shouldn't we?"

Viren's eyes widened slightly, but he kept his composure. "We shouldn't waste anymore time." He turned away from the elf, heading back out to where Claudia waited. He felt Aaravos's eyes on him the whole while, ignoring the tingling sensation in his chest.

They journeyed back toward Lux Aurea, through the dense Xadian forest that brought them to Aaravos's secretive vacation home. Viren was aware of their need for this key, or at least aware that Aaravos wanted to find it, but he still wasn't sure what their long-term plan was. They still had the Sunfire Staff, but Aaravos said it wouldn't be of much use to them once the elves reclaimed the Sunforge. Sure enough, the staff's energy dissipated a day ago, presumably when the elves crafted a new one to replace it. Still, they kept it, and Viren didn't know why. He didn't know a lot of things, and it made him uncomfortable.

He remembered the moments before he confronted the sunfire elves, when Aaravos had him travel alone to the grand spire. He stood just outside the gates, hidden behind a cliffside. Aaravos had stopped him, hovering above his face with an unnervingly arrogant smirk.

"There's something you'll need to do before going in there," the elf had said through the tiny purple caterpillar on Viren's ear. "Your little bug pal will need to go unnoticed."

Viren looked up at him. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Aaravos grinned, eyes twinkling playfully. "You'll have to put me in your mouth."

Viren had blushed, clearing his throat. "Excuse me?"

"Take me into your mouth and swallow." Aaravos floated forward, eyebrows raised.

The human stared at him, wide-eyed and heart racing. He was remarkably confused, and his mouth stuttered wildly for the right words-for any words.

Suddenly Aaravos laughed, truly entertained by his joke. He sighed and turned back to Viren, flicking his ear like he had in the mirror, the first time he was gesturing for Viren to retrieve the caterpillar.

Viren choked out a cough, pulling the small creature from his ear. "You don't have to be so inappropriate about it," he muttered.

Aaravos was still chuckling, as if he found it so immensely amusing. Viren gulped in mild disgust as he put the insect in his mouth, swallowing it with strained effort. He glanced back up to see Aaravos with his hands behind his head, grinning wickedly.

That had been the first time Viren felt physically stirred by the elf. He'd been intrigued before, of course, but that crude joke, like they were two unlikely friends teasing each other... It lit a fire somewhere in Viren's chest. And now, as they rode through the Xadian landscape, Viren couldn't help thinking about that laugh, a tiny glimmer of joy in the seemingly-corrupt elf's roguish demeanor. Aaravos enjoyed playing with people, it was clear to him now. And while so much of that enjoyment was derived from conniving schemes and extraordinary displays of power, there was something...interesting about the way he played with Viren that fateful day at Lux Aurea. Or perhaps Viren was reading more into it now that Aaravos had awakened something dark within him.

Still, he needed to be on guard, alert. Aaravos was dangerous, especially now that he was free of his prison. Viren still hadn't written off the notion that the elf was leading them into a trap, delivering them back to the sunfire elves. He had put so much blind faith in the archmage, swallowing that caterpillar, risking his life to bring Aaravos to the center of the Sunforge. And Aaravos played along with this game, this thing Viren hated admitting. Aaravos had the power. He most likely didn't need the humans anymore. So...why were they still around?

Part of Viren didn't want to know the answer. Part of him needed to understand this strange elf's inner workings, the way his mind operated. He was elusive, enigmatic, and his charisma masked any true emotions he may have been feeling at any given moment. Viren was simultaneously curious and somewhat frightened of what he might find if he probed any further. Besides, the longer he spent time thinking about Aaravos, the more his eyes wandered over to the broad shoulders of the startouch elf, the more he felt that tightening in his chest, that rush of blood downward...

No. He had to put those thoughts into a locked box. Aaravos hadn't mentioned anything from the previous day, and Viren certainly didn't want to bring it up himself. Now that there were no rooms to divide them, Claudia would always be around. Certainly Aaravos would respect that.

"So... Are we going to the Banther Lodge?" Claudia said after several hours silent of traveling had passed.

"Of course not," Aaravos said.

Viren's eyebrows shot up, and he shared a look with Claudia. "What?" he said. "But that's where your key is."

"It's highly unlikely my relic is still there," said Aaravos. "If Harrow knew of it's importance, it has undoubtedly fallen into enemy hands already."

"Soren and I did see that Callum and Ezran were at the Banther Lodge..." Claudia said. "I guess they could have it..."

Viren felt his anger rising. "You didn't think to mention this earlier?"

"She didn't need to," Aaravos said, his smooth voice sending a chill down Viren's spine. "It was written about in Harrow's letter, and that letter made its way to the princes. Going to the lodge now would be a waste of time."

Viren paused. "So then, where are we going?"

"Katolis." Aaravos sent a cunning grin behind his shoulder. "We're going to bring the key to us."

"But we can't possibly be welcome there," Viren said. "Ezran will be taking the throne."

"With what crown?" Aaravos smiled. Viren remembered the misshapen, bloody crown of Katolis, still safely in his possession. "Patience, Lord Viren," Aaravos continued with a smirk. "I have had centuries of time to plan."

"And we're just supposed to trust you? Clearly your first plan failed," Claudia muttered, somewhat under her breath.

Aaravos turned a knowing look of sympathy on her. "I understand your concern, but you have me now." He pressed a hand to his chest. "I can better help you once we retrieve my key."

Claudia looked away, a wary look still in her eyes.

"Have faith, young mage. I always deliver." Aaravos looked forward again, but not before sending a sly smile to Viren.

They stopped to rest, and Aaravos walked Claudia through a dark magic spell that turned their sticks and twigs into a lavishly furnished camp. Viren found something ameliorating about the archmage's strong disdain for the outdoors; it humanized him in a way. A strange, ethereal tent that resembled a war admiral's camp was set up in the center of their clearing, the setting sun making it shimmer. A spell derived from moonshadow magic, undoubtedly.

"It will become invisible to the naked eye once the moon shines on it," Aaravos said. "But it may still be useful to keep watch for unwanted attention." He smirked slightly.

"Are you sure we can't just make dragons that'll get us to Katolis lickity split?" Claudia whined. "I hate camping."

"Inconspicuous, child," Aaravos said with a smile at her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Viren saw her blush and he bristled. "We must remain inconspicuous."

Claudia turned away to continue setting up her bed fashioned from more moonshadow magic, and Viren heard her giggling.

He grabbed Aaravos's arm, pulling him close so he could whisper angrily. "Must everything you do be steeped in your alluring glamour? She is a child. You stay away from her."

"Viren, how little do you think of me?" the elf purred, and Viren immediately regretted pulling Aaravos this close to him. "My intentions are perfectly noble, I assure you." He glanced over to Claudia. "She is intelligent. I need to gain her trust if she is to remain loyal to us."

Viren felt his anger calm, but it was immediately replaced with something else. He hadn't actually touched Aaravos yet, not like this. The proximity of their bodies was unbearable, and the smug grin on the elf's face was just as much so. He let go, but Aaravos didn't move for a moment, still grinning at him. Viren needed to say something to break the tension.

"I'll rest now," he said. "Gain some energy to keep watch in the early morning."

"Perfect."

Viren didn't like the look in Aaravos's eye, but he had little to do against it. He headed under the elegant canopy of the tent, wanting to rest his eyes and his mind. Every moment with this elf seemed heavy, weighted. He still hadn't written off that Aaravos was somehow magically influencing him.

He stretched his limbs and climbed into the bed layered with plush blankets and round pillows; was this how startouch elves lived? They were so elusive, very few writings on them as a people existed. Viren silently pondered as he heard Aaravos outside.

"Long ago, Xadia was one land," said the archmage, and Viren could imagine Claudia's wide eyes, enamored with his compelling story. Viren used to tell her stories, she and Soren. Back when their mother was still around. His thoughts went back to his dream, the one where Claudia accused him of being heartless. He wondered if he'd lost it when his wife left.

His eyes drifted, and sleep overcame him.

"You think yourself heartless?"

Viren opened his eyes, but still felt sleep pulling at him. Was he dreaming? He looked up to see Aaravos's ethereal form standing by his bed, grinning down at him.

Viren sat up and glanced out at the campfire. Night had fallen, and Aaravos was still awake by the fire while Claudia dozed off on her own bed.

"This...is a dream?" he muttered.

"The realm of the cosmos," said Aaravos's form.

"Why is it that you can communicate with me through dreams when you claim your connection to the star arcanum has been severed?"

"How can you be so sure I'm doing this?" Aaravos raised an eyebrow, smirking as he leaned down slightly. "I'm probably just a figment of your imagination, a way to confront me without having to deal with all those pesky physical..." His eyes momentarily dipped downward. "Reactions."

Viren's eyes widened, and felt his chest tighten. He wanted to say something about how even his dreams he couldn't escape his physical reactions, but that would be admitting them in the first place. He looked over to the real Aaravos, flipping through the pages of a book idly. He didn't seem to notice Viren was sitting up. Perhaps this was only a normal dream, uninfluenced by the archmage.

"You communicated with me before through dreams," he said. He looked back upward at the dream Aaravos, and was suddenly acutely aware of where his eye level was. "You said I...rekindled the star arcanum."

"Ah yes, the cave," said the elf. "The star primal is a mysterious one. Where the other primal sources deal with Xadia in all her corporeal alignments, the star arcanum is one of cosmic proportions. It is the primal that allows dark magic to exist, that allows you to steal the power of the dragon prince. It transcends the physical boundaries of the world, of you and I, and connects those bound by blood."

Viren's eyebrows raised slightly. He hadn't taken the blood ritual lightly, it was a last resort. But it had still occurred, and he hadn't realized what exactly it would entail.

"You and I are linked, physically and spiritually, Viren," said Aaravos as he moved closer. He leaned downward, forcing Viren to press he back against the wooden beam beside his bed. Aaravos put his hands on either side of Viren's legs, his face now inches from the human's. "You brought me into this world with your blood, and for that I owe you an incredible debt."

Viren cleared his throat. He glanced once more to the tent's exterior, where the real Aaravos still sat unawares. The ethereal Aaravos, however, was moments away from feeling how quickly Viren's heart was beating, how fast his breathing had become. This had to be a dream. How could Aaravos pull off a magical feat like this without drawing any runes, performing any dark magic spells? He needed to say something, to divert the elf's attention.

"You are repaying your debt," he stuttered. "You are helping me eliminate the Xadian threat on humanity."

"Oh, King Viren," Aaravos said with a sigh. He moved even closer, so that he was almost straddling the human, his lips brushing delicately against Viren's ear. He spoke in a sultry whisper, and Viren almost melted. "When will you admit what it is you truly want? Power, fame, glory, all things I can give to you. I can give you anything you desire."

Viren's groin was throbbing, his hardness now fully apparent. He shut his eyes, wondering if he could force himself to wake up. But he felt Aaravos's hand on his chin, pulling his gaze back to meet the elf's.

"Perhaps what you truly desire is much more primal, deeply rooted in darkness. Perhaps I can help you discover it," Aaravos smirked. "What do you desire, Lord Viren?" he whispered, eyes hooded.

"I..." Viren was barely able to speak, his breathing coming in heavy gasps. "I..."

Viren sat up suddenly, eyes wide as he breathed heavily. He looked around sharply, and saw the outlined figure of Aaravos sleeping on his bed on the other side of the tent. Claudia sat outside by the fire, humming gently as she read through a dark magic tome from Aaravos's study.

He'd been asleep, he realized with relief. He ran a hand through his hair, rubbed his eyes wearily. He looked back at Aaravos, who remained sleeping by all appearances. Viren still felt a little tightness in his groin and decided staying awake would be better. He adjusted his pants and got to his feet, leaving the tent.

Claudia looked up, smiling. "Hey, Dad. You ready to keep watch?"

"Yes," Viren said with a smile. "Go get some rest."

"This doesn't really fell necessary, since our camp is hidden by moonshadow magic," Claudia said as she stood.

"We're in Xadia. Elves and dragons alike have ways of countering any magic we use."

"Good point." Claudia disappeared inside her own private section of the tent. Viren silently dismayed that he and Aaravos didn't have such privacy from each other.

Viren sat down by the fire, his back against a tree. He intended to keep watch of their surroundings, but also kept a keen eye on the sleeping figure of Aaravos through the small opening in the tent.

It wasn't long before he saw the twin horns stirring, the elf's lithe torso rising from his bed. His dark eyes glinted in the low light, and Viren saw the hooded gaze turn toward him. He tried steeling himself, but he was still hard from his dream and didn't have time to cool down.

Aaravos rose up from the bed, dropping his cloak behind him. He was shadowed, merely a silhouette, but Viren could see him shrug away his tunic so that his chest was bare, and he walked forward to the mouth of the tent. The starlight made his skin glisten, made his eyes glow gently. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the post holding up the tent, grinning at Viren.

Viren stood, gripping his hands into fists. "What exactly do you think you're doing to me, elf?"

Aaravos chuckled. "The pride," he muttered, half to himself. "Humans and elves think themselves so different, but the pride." He started taking slow steps forward. "It runs rampant through both Xadia and the human kingdoms."

"I don't care how cryptically you speak," Viren said, holding his ground. "I've had enough. I command you to stop playing these games."

Aaravos closed the distance between them quickly. "Then I have no choice but to obey, my lord." He grinned, gripping Viren's chin as he had in the dream. "No more games."

"Enough," Viren said pointedly. But he was growing weak, feeling unbearably drunk on this man's charismatic smile.

"How long can you keep this up?" Aaravos said. His other hand was drawing an invisible line down Viren's chest-impossibly slowly. Viren wanted to push him away, but couldn't find the strength to do it. "How long can you keep denying yourself?"

"I...can't..." Viren's eyes were attached to the elf's face, his lips, his hooded eyes, his shimmering marks. He hadn't wanted to, but his hand had a mind of its own as it reach up to hold Aaravos's waist as if urging the other man to press his lower half against him.

"I'll give you one last chance, Viren," Aaravos said. "Tell me right now to stop, and I will obey."

This was it, the relief Viren could get. He could be done with the games, the nonstop teasing, the intoxicating encounters. But Aaravos's finger kept trailing downward, and Viren almost bucked against the anticipation. His other hand reached behind him to grip the tree his back was against, as if for stability. He mouthed wordlessly, before shutting his lips and giving Aaravos a look of stone, albeit heated. He said nothing.

Aaravos smirked. "As you wish, my lord."

Viren's chest nearly exploded as Aaravos's lips crashed into his.


	5. Chapter 5

Viren was on fire.

Everywhere his skin touched Aaravos's, it ignited a small fire in his chest. He couldn't get enough as Aaravos pressed him harder against the tree, holding his head in place with a firm hand while he sucked and nibbled at his neck. Viren could do nothing to stop him, both physically and mentally. He was overwhelmed, crazed, undeniably swimming in ecstasy at his lechery. He'd never felt like this, not with any human he'd been with. Maybe this was how it was with elves, their magic pulsing through their bodies and lighting every nerve with delicious sensations. Or maybe Aaravos was just purely intoxicating, and Viren was numbly weak to his power.

The elf didn't waste any time. Viren could feel the hunger in his breath, his every movement. He hadn't felt physical touch in centuries, and it was evident in his eyes. He looked at Viren like he was his prey, like he wouldn't stop until his every primal urge was satisfied. It made the fire in Viren's chest burn even hotter.

Aaravos released his grip on Viren's neck, moving his hands downward to feel the man's hardness through his pants. Viren felt his eyes widening, his heart pounding, his blood rushing downward. There was a very mild sense of fear attached, but it only added to the thrill, and he bit his lip fiercely as Aaravos rubbed his hand along Viren's length slowly. He wanted to groan, wanted to shout, but he forced his throat to close. Making any sounds of pleasure would be like admitting his need, something he certainly wouldn't do while an elf was the one pleasuring him.

Aaravos smirked, noticing the act of resistance. He moved his hand up and down, returning the other to Viren's head and weaving his fingers through his dark hair. The look in his eyes turned more playful suddenly, and he seemed to relax into the position.

"You still resist your deepest desires," said the elf with a dark chuckle. "Then this will be _very_ fun."

He removed his hand from the stiff bulge in Viren's pants, making the human's eyes widen in dismay. He watched as Aaravos pulled at his own pants, all the while regarding his prey with hooded eyes. Once he had freed himself, Viren couldn't help looking down. He didn't have much time to take in the size of his cock before Aaravos closed the distance between them once more. Viren breathed deeply, suppressing the sound he so badly wanted to elicit at the feeling of the elf's hardness pressed against him. He needed to concentrate. He may be physically and mentally weak in this moment, but he did not want to stoop so low as to vocalize his lustful desires.

Aaravos helped him by muffling any groans of pleasure with a wet kiss. He felt the elf's teeth nibble at his bottom lip, felt his tongue teasing its way into Viren's open mouth. Being held against the tree, Aaravos's bare skin brushing against his, their bodies entangled in blissful sensation... It was the hottest and most stimulated Viren had ever felt. And the more he thought about how shameful and wicked his lust was, the more he felt it burn within him.

Aaravos pulled away, and Viren had to quickly replace his look of longing with one of defiance. But the elf held his chin with a smile, a gentle "hmm" escaping his lips. He moved to kiss Viren's neck again, slowly and deliberately dragging his tongue across his skin. Viren shuddered against the sensation.

"You're so deliciously defiant in your silence, Viren," Aaravos said between kisses. His hand trailed downward again. "Yet you don't realize how submissive you're being." Viren bucked slightly as Aaravos tucked his hands down the human's pants. "Your silence is all the permission I need to overcome you." He grabbed Viren's hard length, freeing it from his pants.

Viren shut his eyes, clenched his teeth. Aaravos was right; while Viren refused to express his undeniable needs, he also didn't want the elf to stop. The shameful notion made him twitch in Aaravos's hand, and he couldn't stop his hands from reaching forward and grabbing the other mage's hips as if for balance.

Aaravos took the motion as approval, and he suddenly, sharply, bit down on Viren's neck. The human squirmed slightly, but still refused to make a sound. Aaravos bit harder, clearly trying to get any kind of sound out of him. When it still didn't work, Aaravos pulled away. He continued stroking Viren's cock, which was getting increasingly ready to climax the more Aaravos tried coaxing a sound from him. The elf looked at him darkly.

"I know what it is you crave, and want so very much to give it to you." He smirked. "But I have my own desires. I want to hear you say it."

Viren wanted to give in. But he clenched his jaw.

Aaravos sighed. "You are quite the challenge," he breathed. "And normally I'd have even more fun with you. But I've waited too long." He lifted his hand to lazily draw a rune in the air.

Viren's eyes widened. Magic? The small hint of fear started growing. "What are you doing?" He hated the strained tone in his voice, the incredibly obvious weakness it betrayed.

"There's that voice," Aaravos said with a chuckled. He settled the rune by clasping his fist, and Viren suddenly felt his hands bind together behind his back. He struggled in a panic, the commotion making him fall away from the tree and to his knees. Aaravos stepped toward him, reaching down to lift his chin with a delicate forefinger.

Viren was suddenly acutely aware of how close Aaravos's groin was to his face.

"I want to help you, my lord," the elf cooed seductively. "I want to serve you the best way I can. But my patience is wearing thin."

Viren clenched his teeth together, brow furrowing together. He glared up at Aaravos, wanting to spit back a retort. But he was afraid of speaking again, of potentially giving away his immense desire to give in to the temptation. And he couldn't give the elf any ammunition.

Aaravos tsk'ed in feigned annoyance, or perhaps real annoyance. "And you mocked Harrow for his pride," he muttered.

Before Viren had time to process, Aaravos gripped Viren's chin and moved his other hand to root in his hair. Viren wanted to struggle against the bindings around his wrists, but it was impossible to break the magical chains. It was even more impossible to rid himself of Aaravos's firm grasp. The elf positioned his erection directly in front of Viren's mouth. He felt his face warm.

"Will the mighty King Viren take what he wants," Aaravos whispered, "or will you continue to deny yourself?"

Viren hesitated. He felt dizzy as he wet his lips. He knew he wanted more than anything to taste Aaravos, to feel the exquisite pleasure of being overpowered by the archmage. But what he _couldn't_ know was how badly he wanted to _please_ him, how he wanted Aaravos to stroke his temple and say he'd been a good plaything. He wouldn't let himself know just how dark and perverse his debauchery could get.

"Either command me to walk away," Aaravos hissed, "or let me give you what you desire."

Viren looked up at him and said nothing.

The smug grin vanished from the elf's startouched face. "You'll just have to watch, then." He kept his left hand firmly rooted in Viren's hair, gripping forcefully. He was clearly unable to resist himself any longer, the notion making Viren's dick throb unbearably. Aaravos's right hand moved to wrap around the length of his shaft, and he began pumping gently, all the while keeping a hooded gaze downward at Viren.

Viren's eyes moved from the erotic image of the elf pleasuring himself right in front of his face, to the just-as-erotic look in Aaravos's eyes. It made Viren's own groin tingle even more, the rushing blood making him feel dizzy. He almost instinctively opened his mouth, and then immediately shut it. He wasn't going to submit. He tried diverting his gaze, but felt Aaravos's grip on his hair tighten.

"Ah-ah-ah," he said with staccato. "I said... _watch_."

Viren stifled a groan at how flustered the command made him. His heartbeat quickened at the terrible sense of depravity that came along with the elf's confident, smug glower. Viren was acting like a teenager all over again, hoping beyond all hope that the Prince of Katolis would accept him into his bed. Kneeling before King Harrow as he asserted his dominance, a tightness forming in his gut. Always on the floor, looking up at his superiors.

And for some reason, some very dark place inside him derived a sick pleasure from it every time.

Aaravos's breathing grew heavier as well, as he was clearly reaching the tipping point. His grip tightened even more in Viren's hair, and the human felt lightheaded at the growing pain. But the feeling was quickly replaced with an ineffable kind of hunger, as Viren watched Aaravos come. The elf groaned in release, and Viren watched his cum fall to the ground with a sense of frustration. He licked his lips again, but held back any sounds of yearning.

Aaravos breathed a sigh, smiled at Viren. He knelt down before him, finally releasing Viren's hair. The look in his eye was malicious, and it sent a chill down Viren's spine.

"You pretend all you want is power," the elf sneered. He glanced down at Viren's still rather stiff member. "Yet you lie to yourself. You relish the feeling of power being forced upon you. The irony is exhilarating, isn't it?" He laughed darkly, before getting back to his feet. He fastened the belt around his pants and turned to leave, snapping his fingers to release the binds holding Viren's hands behind his back.

Viren fell forward with a grunt, catching himself from falling. He looked up at Aaravos's disappearing form, still breathing heavily. His groin still throbbed, and he felt deeply crestfallen. He hated how much he wanted the elf to come back, to finish pleasuring him. He hastily covered himself up and got to his feet, stumbling slightly at the weakness in his legs. He glanced around, feeling sheepishly juvenile and exposed. Claudia was hopefully still asleep. Maybe he could...

He groaned. He was exhausted, frustrated, impossibly irritated at himself. How had he let this happen? How had he allowed the startouch elf into his mind, into his deepest inner thoughts? Aaravos had him pegged, had him literally pinned, and although Viren tried not to show his desire it clearly came through. Aaravos knew exactly what to do, exactly how to fire him up, but how?

He couldn't waste time on his salacious feelings. They had a mission, plus he had his daughter to think about. How was he to be sure the elf wasn't tricking him, distracting him with his seductive tendencies to get to a greater purpose? What if they were on their way to securing a relic that would ultimately end in Viren's-in humanity's destruction?

Viren rubbed his eyes. He needed to stay alert, clear-headed. Why was he so worked up? Why were even the brief moments of sexual satisfaction he could find not enough? He took a deep breath and sat down by the burning fire. Claudia was right, it felt a little unnecessary keeping watch. And now Viren wondered if it was just a ploy from Aaravos to create an isolated moment with him. He glanced back at the tent, but Aaravos had tied the entrance shut. Viren wondered if the elf expected him to go back in there, to beg for the chance to receive the sensual gratification he had offered.

Viren groaned, burying his face in his hands. He wondered if he could just get it out of his system, just once, one feverish night of self-indulgence... Why shouldn't he? If he was to be a king, a conqueror, he should be able to partake in any selfish desire he wanted.

Viren sighed. The deep sense of shame clung wearily to his bones, and he hated it. He hated everything about how was feeling, how he had allowed the elf to debase him like this.

_Liar_, he thought.

Swallowing his pride, Viren got to his feet. He stepped toward the tent and unfastened the tie, taking a deep breath. He saw the lithe yet lean silhouette of Aaravos lying on his back, one knee bent and his folded arms pillowing his head. A glimpse of light played off his starry skin, the darkened mark in the middle of his chest a stark contrast to the rest of his shimmering ones. He looked like a statue, perfectly carved from the cosmos themselves, perfectly reflecting the night sky.

Aaravos turned his head slightly, and the light caught his dark eyes. He sat up slightly, holding his torso up by his elbows.

Viren hesitated. He glanced over at the cloth partition where Claudia slept.

Aaravos smiled with hooded eyes. He silently etched another rune Viren didn't recognize into the air between them and breathed through his fingers to settle it. Then, "She cannot hear us."

"She could come out," Viren muttered.

Aaravos said nothing, only watched Viren carefully. It made him feel even more exposed than before, like the man was only going to strike if Viren finally opened up, finally made it clear what it was he wanted.

Viren stepped forward, trying to feign confidence. He hesitated right in front of Aaravos's bed, feeling his heart racing uncontrollably. Before he could make any other move however, he felt the elf's strong arms wrap around his waist and pull him down onto the bed, maneuvering him so that Aaravos straddled his hips. The look in the starry elf's eyes was unusual, not his typical hungriness. Viren supposed it was because of what had happened just moments ago, but he also felt there was something more to it, something almost knowing. His thoughts were somewhat confirmed when Aaravos leaned down quietly, kissing his collar bone and neck with much more softness than he had before. It was like he understood how difficult it had been for Viren to walk back in here, and was rewarding such an act of self...awareness.

The gentleness gradually dissipated, as Aaravos began grinding his hips into Viren's. The human mage felt his aching groin throb with anticipation. He hesitantly and yet also instinctively wrapped his arms around Aaravos's torso, feeling the smooth silkiness of his skin and reveling in even the minor sensation. He curled his fingers through the white locks of hair that fell down the elf's back, closing his eyes.

Aaravos was growing hard again, and Viren felt his cock pressing deliciously against his own. He swallowed, taking deep breaths. He couldn't stop himself now; he needed Aaravos's body, at least once. He needed it oh so much, and the more he gradually admitted that to himself the hotter he felt. An elf, a seductive, charming elf had brought him to such a state... He bit his bottom lip fiercely, bucking against the glorious feeling of Aaravos's lips and tongue on his skin, his hands moving downward to tug at his belt. Viren looked down, watching as the elven mage freed both of their erections with impossibly graceful movements, holding them together and rubbing lightly with a grin on his face.

Viren did love that grin, and at this point, he was confident Aaravos knew.

"What a divine sight," Aaravos whispered, his succulent voice enough to make Viren's dick twitch excitedly. "You look so delectable when you give in to your primal urges."

Viren made no sound, and was enormously relieved that Aaravos didn't press it. He still had one ounce left of his dignity, and he wasn't going to give it up easily.

The elf pulled at the belts on Viren's tunic, tugging at the buckles until they loosened. Viren shut his eyes while Aaravos undressed him, and by the time he had reopened them Aaravos was also removed his pants. He shimmered in the small light that penetrated through the opening in the tent, and Viren took a brief moment to simply run his eyes along the archmage's figure. He didn't have too long however, as Aaravos straddled him again, white hair falling and tickling Viren's chest.

"Allow me to serve you, my lord," purred the elf, and Viren inhaled sharply as Aaravos wet two of his fingers with his mouth. He lowered them down, to Viren's entrance.

Viren squeezed his eyes shut. He half-expected Aaravos to command him to open them, but no such order was issued, somewhat to his dismay. Aaravos continued fingering him until he was stretched wider than he'd ever felt, and he swallowed in sublime excitement when the fingers were suddenly removed. Aaravos re-positioned Viren's hips, moving himself so that his firm length was right before Viren's readied asshole.

Suddenly Viren felt a gentle finger trail down his jawline. He opened his eyes, looking up at the unimaginably beautiful man before him. Right as they made eye contact, Aaravos shoved his cock forward, pushing into Viren with wanton force.

Viren arched his back, hands gripping the bedding beneath him. He thought he tasted blood on his lips from biting down so hard, from suppressing the intense moan he felt in his chest. He was successful, and took a moment to catch his breath while Aaravos mercifully waited. He didn't have terribly long though, as he felt another painful thrust. He knew Aaravos was trying to get him to make a noise, a sound of either pain or pleasure. But at this point Viren wasn't sure he even had a voice anymore. He braced himself for another thrust, and with that the elf had sheathed himself deep inside of him. It felt painful, felt dirty, degrading...

It felt _incredible_.

As Aaravos found a rhythm, Viren continued clutching the bed sheets. His body was alight with desire, and he swallowed it all. His cock twitched with every powerful thrust, if only because it felt so undeniably good to be filled like this. He thought he might reach orgasm out of sheer exhilaration, when Aaravos leaned forward slightly.

Viren gasped, the loudest noise he'd made since this began. He felt Aaravos's cock rub against a delicious spot inside him, and it sent tremors of pleasure forward through his gut. He was out of his mind, completely lost in the sublime ecstasy of being filled by the startouch elf, and he felt the exquisite pressure building in his groin. He was on the ledge, the thrill making his heart race.

"Come, Viren."

The command from that decadent voice was the last push. Viren's vision blurred, felt his entire body shake as irresistible pleasure rippled through it, his climax hitting him hard. He couldn't stop the loud groan from escaping his lips, and dimly heard a matching sound from Aaravos.

As the ecstasy slowly ebbed, Viren felt blissfully numb, still breathing heavily. For one minuscule moment he felt relaxed, felt deeply an completely at peace. He felt his shame wash away, replaced by warm acceptance. It didn't last long, but he felt it, and it brought a very slight smile to his lips.

He glanced up at Aaravos, his vision returning to normal. The elf must have orgasmed as well, since he was panting slowly and regarding Viren with the most domineering grin he'd ever seen. Aaravos was pleased, clearly, and Viren felt small under that wicked gaze. Small and utterly satisfied.

The archmage slowly removed himself from Viren's ass, exhaling deeply. He sat back against a beam, eyes closed.

Viren took the chance to sit up. He nearly blacked out, and waited for the blood to return to his head. Finally he reached for his pants and hastily pulled them back on. He knew that maybe it shouldn't have mattered after what just happened, but now that their feverish throes of passion were concluded he felt somewhat indecent. He stood and dressed himself quickly, all the while feeling Aaravos's pointed eyes on him.

As Viren moved to leave the tent, he heard Aaravos's quiet, self-assured voice.

"I will not be so merciful again," he said.

Viren grit his teeth. "I will not let this happen again."

But he could sense the elf's smirk, and felt his rock-hard resolve crumble.

_Liar._


	6. Chapter 6

King Harrow sat upon the Katolisian throne, his head held high. The asymmetric crown shined perfectly in the light, and a smile rested on his face. He was a beautiful king, with a beautiful family.

Viren once fancied himself part of that family.

He knelt before the throne, regarding the King of Katolis was an icy glare. But Harrow didn't seem to think anything of it, as if this was simply Viren's place, as it has always been.

"You've been busy," Harrow said.

Viren couldn't quite meet Harrow's eye line. He said nothing.

"I'm so very disappointed in you, Viren," the king continued. "A petulant child, undeserving of the crown. Undeserving of everything I have given you."

Viren wanted to speak but found he couldn't. He kept his head bowed.

"What exactly makes you special?" Harrow said. "Why should you have the throne? Why should you have anything?" He stood, and Viren watched him approach with a sudden excitement in his gut. "You are nothing. Weak, pathetic. You belong on the ground, and get used to it. That's where he'll keep you." He paused. "You're so sick that you'll enjoy it."

Viren squeezed his hands into fists, clenching his jaw in resentment. He felt like his voice had been stolen, unable to say what he truly wanted to say. Unable to tell Harrow to shut up, to listen to him. _I was going to do it_, he wanted to scream. _I was going to sacrifice my life for you_.

Why couldn't he just say it? No, instead he had to let Harrow assert his dominance as king, had to get to his knees and bow. He was weak. Perhaps he wanted an out, wanted to be able to point at Harrow's pride and save his own life. Pathetic.

"You are a servant," Harrow said. "A servant."

Pip squawked in the corner of the room.

The warm Xadian sunlight made Viren squint as he awoke. The sound of birds calling somewhere off in the dense underbrush had pulled him from his dream, pulled his attention from Harrow to the blasted bird. Viren took a deep breath, wondering where the creature had gone off to. Where his old friend had gone.

He lay there on the ground, feeling a slight tinge of pain in his lower back. He had wandered outside to continue keeping watch, but clearly was too exhausted to stay awake. He only wondered why on earth his dreams had been of Harrow that morning.

Viren rubbed his eyes and sat up with a groan. Needless to say the ground hadn't made a comfortable bed, but Viren hadn't intended on falling asleep. Regardless, a wave of decisive satisfaction had lulled him out of the waking realm, the memory of the previous night clinging to his mind. He had no idea what had gotten into him ever since the manipulative startouch elf emerged from that chrysalis. It was as if the mere presence of the archmage was enough to drive Viren crazy, off the titillating edge of sanity. He hadn't felt this way about anyone, not even his wife, let alone someone like Aaravos. Someone so powerful, so confident and dangerous. He was everything Viren wanted to be...

Ever since Harrow made him kneel.

Viren sometimes wondered if it was his wife who had turned his heart to stone. But he hadn't felt more hollow than when his best friend refused his sacrifice, and forced him to his knees in submission.

Viren sighed. Why did he feel so hollow?

Motion at the corner of his eye made him look up. He saw Claudia emerge from the tent, hair disheveled from sleep. She moved toward the burned-out campfire.

"Good morning," Viren said, but was stopped when Claudia held up a hand. She knelt down and started the fire with dark magic, pulling out a vile of brown liquid. She heated it up for a few minutes and took a sip.

"Ahh." She smiled, then turned to Viren with a chipper smile. "Good morning, Dad!"

Viren chuckled, probably the first time in a while that he was smiling at her not out of necessity but out of true gladness. It felt foreign somehow.

Her smile faded however, as she pulled her messy bangs out of her face. "I can't do the camping thing. Can we please find some sort of town? We've got to be close to the border by now."

"It's not a good idea," Viren muttered. "We're still in enemy territory. Aaravos says even having an elf with us might not be enough." Mentioning the startouch elf by name made his chest tighten.

His eye caught motion again, and he looked up to see Aaravos standing by the mouth of the tent. He was smirking, arms crossed. Viren felt his skin warm under the smug gaze, felt his heart beat start racing. Their eyes met, and suddenly Viren felt more vulnerable than he ever had before.

"There may be a place we can rest," said the elf. "If we can get cloaks for the two of you, maybe we could mask your identities."

"I've still got my cloak," Claudia said.

Viren glanced at Aaravos, who grinned at him. The elf began untying the cloak from around his shoulders. He tossed it over to Viren, who caught it gingerly. A wave of the other man's scent flushed Viren's senses, and he felt lightheaded. For some reason, donning the archmage's cloak felt oddly...intimate. It forced his attention to be on Aaravos's presence, as if it wasn't already.

"Sweet indoor plumbing, soon we will reunite," Claudia sang as she raised the hood to conceal her round ears and hornless head. She moved to ready her dragonhead mount, out of earshot.

Viren calmly fastened the cloak around his shoulders, and watched as Aaravos smirked at him from the corner of his eye.

"It suits you," Aaravos said, "the robes of an archmage."

Viren mustered a scoff as he rolled his eyes. But he did enjoy the way the elf was looking at him, like he were a truly magical and powerful force to be reckoned with. It didn't quite line up with the way Aaravos usually looked at him, like he wanted him on all fours in front of him. While the thought alone made Viren feel hot, something still felt different about the elf's gaze this time.

They continued forward, drawing closer and closer to the border. Aaravos was certain the dragon queen would still be at the Storm Spire, and he was unnervingly correct. They saw no dragons as they left the green landscape, and the terrain was becoming increasingly more rocky. They would have needed cloaks for traveling regardless of where they stayed that night without the covering of trees to mask their identities.

Viren occasionally thought back to his dream, thought about Harrow's words. Of course, they were actually Viren's own thoughts, but hearing them in the deep, rich timbre of Harrow's voice added a painful touch.

_You belong on the ground, and get used to it. That's where he'll keep you._

He looked over to Aaravos. The elf's star-freckled skin never shimmered as much in the bright sunlight. But now that his cloak had been removed his muscular torso was much more visible, and Viren couldn't help himself from staring. It was feeling extraordinarily difficult to keep his mind from wandering with the archmage's heady scent filling his senses. He thought about everything Aaravos had said and done, how it all had worked Viren into a knot of frustration and arousal. He remembered the feeling of Aaravos's skin on his own, even the mildly uncomfortable tug of Aaravos's fingers in his hair. Every last drop of it was fuel for the fire in Viren's gut, but he had refused to lap it up. He had refused to be some archmage's pet, bowing to his every whim. But that sweet moment when he temporarily lapsed, letting down his defenses if only for a moment...

He was confused. Confused at Aaravos, confused at himself. He didn't understand how one moment the elf was claiming to be a servant, and the next he was asserting his dominance over him. He didn't understand how while he wanted power and to bring Xadia to its knees, he also found himself longing for the elf to keep riling him up, to take him, to_ conquer_ him.

Maybe if he could get some privacy, his own room in a nice bed, then he'd have some space to think and regain his confidence.

Aaravos led them across the vast expanse of mountainous terrain until they came across a lone building, built into the side of a rocky cliff. It was an inn, owned and operated by a skywing family, and they made no mention of the mildly suspicious attire the two humans wore. Before going and speaking to the innkeeper, Claudia used dark purple berries to paint lines on her face, recreating the patterns of a moonshadow elf. She even tugged at the white sections of her hair so that they were visible, until she strongly resembled the elf that had ruined everything atop the Storm Spire. Viren was proud of her ingenuity, and even more so when she turned around with a thumbs up after securing them three rooms.

He also noticed, however, the looks Aaravos was getting. There were one or two other customers regarding him with shocked and veiled expressions, but the archmage either feigned ignorance or simply didn't see it. Viren assumed the former, given how remarkably perceptive the elf was.

They made their way up to the rooms. Viren sighed as the door shut behind him, and he finally felt like he had a moment to himself. Even back at the grand estate Aaravos had brought them to, he didn't truly feel like he had privacy. But now, he had a clean bed and a personal bathroom, complete with a washtub. He felt like he hadn't bathed since before the march on Xadia, and the mere thought of laying in a bath of steaming water made him feel more relaxed. Once he had settled his belongings, he set to heating the washtub with dark magic-he wasn't about to wait for a manual furnace.

The steaming water was wonderful against Viren's skin. He lowered himself in gradually, allowing the warmth to seep into his muscles. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, closing his eyes in a moment of rest.

Without much surprise, Viren's mind wandered. He was too relaxed to fight it, and found himself envisioning the events of the night before. It didn't take long, remembering as Aaravos held him in down and jerked off right by his face. Viren felt his groin tighten, felt the pressure building as his length grew hard. As arousing as the image had been, he let himself wonder how it would have felt giving in to the desire, taking him into his mouth and letting the elf fuck his face. He felt his skin flush at the thought, breathing growing more heavy and rapid. He wanted to touch himself, but what was more he secretly wished Aaravos would interrupt him, barging in on his privacy and taking what he wanted without mercy.

But nothing like that happened, and Viren felt unbelievably frustrated.

He finished bathing, drying himself with a towel, trying to ignore the building tension in his groin. He had to rest tonight. He finally had a bed, a real one, one that even reminded him of his bed back in Katolis. He wasn't going to waste this chance indulging in bodily pleasures with an elf. But he kept waiting, listening, wanting beyond all reason to hear the sound of footsteps coming toward his room. He hated this, hated the ridiculous situation he was in. Why was this so difficult? And why was it so intoxicating?

Before he could allow himself time to think about his actions, he put on his pants and left the small room. He almost didn't care if anyone saw he wasn't an elf, but luckily the hallway was deserted. He also imagined they would be quite surprised at his bare chest, roaming the public corridors. He didn't care. He opened the door leading to Aaravos's room, noting with self-contempt that it was unlocked.

Aaravos was sitting upright on his bed, shirtless like Viren, leaning against he frame. He wasn't doing anything, just sitting there, and he turned a wicked grin on Viren as the human barged in.

He'd been waiting, Viren realized with a pang of anger. He'd been waiting for Viren to come in, waiting for him to go crazy with lust. Viren was only surprised he hadn't guessed it. Of course the elf was still playing games, still trying to break him.

Viren shut the door behind him firmly.

"Let me make one thing clear," he said, shocked at how calm he sounded.

Aaravos cocked an eyebrow. "And what is that?" He leaned backward, lifting his arms up behind his head to pillow it against the wall.

"You will not break me," Viren hissed. "I will not be the human pet of some elven overlord. You've said many time that we are bound by blood. I will spend every waking moment of my life finding the dark magic spell that will end you, even if it costs my blood. No matter what happens, I will not let you destroy humanity, and I certainly will not let you treat me like I'm an animal."

Aaravos lowered a hand to play with a long white lock of hair. "Oh, Viren," he muttered. "Is that really what you think I want?"

Viren grit his teeth. "You haven't told me what you want," he said. "You've talked in circles since the day we met, getting me to play your games for you. I still have no idea why you're helping me." _Or why you're toying with me like this_. "I have no idea what you want."

Aaravos grinned and leaned forward, swinging his legs so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed now. "Let me tell you what I want, since I actually know what that is," he said firmly. He stood, and Viren struggled maintaining eye contact while Aaravos approached him slowly. "I want you to rid yourself of your inhibitions, to turn your sad, miserable human life into something worth living. I want you to let go of every dejected thought you've ever had in your infinitesimal lifespan, to reject the hopeless limitations against you and finally take what you want." He was standing right in front of Viren now, and his voice had grown somewhat urgent. His words were deliberate, pointed. "I want you to _take_ what you _want_, Viren."

Viren reached forward and tangled his hands in Aaravos's hair, pulling himself in to a heated kiss. He tasted Aaravos like he hadn't given himself a chance to the night before, breathed him in until he was dizzy with desire. He didn't care anymore about his shame or anything that had happened before. Aaravos's words, every last one, had driven him over the edge. Feeling simultaneously degraded and empowered... He wanted more than anything to submit to this powerful man. He couldn't contain himself anymore.

Aaravos was clearly aroused by Viren's urgency, feeling his hardness through his pants. It was electrifying, finally breaking down his walls and letting the other man in. He could almost feel magical pulses through the archmage's skin, intensifying every delicious sensation. He felt Aaravos's arms pulling him closer by his hips while his teeth brushed against Viren's lips. Viren was entirely overtaken by his lust, moving his lips downward to the glimmering lavender skin of the elf's neck. He needed to taste all of him. He didn't mind when he felt Aaravos's hands moving up to his shoulder, pushing down forcefully. Slowly getting to his knees allowed him to trail wet kisses down his toned chest, breathing in his musky scent.

"Worship my body, Viren," Aaravos purred, and it made Viren's hard member twitch excitedly.

Viren was on his knees now, hid hands fumbling slightly as he freed Aaravos's erection. It was already leaking when Viren ran his tongue along the tip, and the taste was more arousing than he would have imagined. Not to mention the sound it elicited from Aaravos, an erotic moan of pleasure... Viren understood why the elf had tried so hard to get the same reaction from him. He moved his tongue slowly along the shaft, inhaling as Aaravos wove his fingers through Viren's hair. Viren had never done this before, and was drunk on the exhilaration. He finally took as much of the elf's hard length into his mouth as he could, sucking lightly. He heard Aaravos inhaled through his teeth, felt his fingers tighten their grip. It made Viren lightheaded, but he didn't care. He'd never felt this incredibly self-indulgent before.

Viren's eyes widened slightly when Aaravos pulled out of his mouth, gripping him forcefully by the hair. "You won't get what you want so easily," the elf said, his voice like crushed velvet. "I'm not done playing with you yet."

Viren swallowed the excess saliva that had gathered in his mouth. He felt Aaravos pull at his arm, gripping it tightly. Viren moved to where Aaravos directed him until he was facing a wooden table, the elf standing directly behind him. His strong arms reached around Viren's waist and pulled at the ties on his pants, undressing him while Viren gripped the edge of the table. He felt Aaravos's breath hot on his neck, his dick brushing against his backside tantalizingly. Before Viren could make sense of anything, Aaravos's hand was on the back of his head, pushing him down over the table.

Aaravos pressed Viren's torso into the surface of the table, making the human fidget uncomfortably beneath him. Viren felt his hardness press up against the cold wood, and felt it only grow harder as Aaravos pinned down his hands from behind. He was powerless to the archmage, a feeling the stirred a delicious sense of debauchery within him.

Viren suddenly felt two wet fingers playing around his entrance. They entered one at a time, and Viren bit his lip while Aaravos stretched him.

"What a filthy human you are, King Viren," Aaravos said, voice somewhat rough with desire. "We're not isolated anymore by my magic. Anyone could walk in at any moment."

Viren's eyes widened, the idea making his heart race.

"Should I open the door?" Aaravos continued. "Let everyone know what you let me do to you?"

"No," Viren breathed. The thought terrified him, but for some reason his quickened heartbeat and rushing blood made him even more excited. He heard Aaravos chuckle darkly behind him as the elf removed his fingers from Viren's ass.

Aaravos thrust the entirety of his length inside the human's entrance, and Viren could practically hear the grin as he fought back a moan. Aaravos freed his hands only so that he could better grip Viren's hips, and Viren took the chance to reach above his head and cling tightly to the edge of the table above him. He needed to brace himself, and liked being able to hide his expressions of both pain and ecstasy in the crook of his elbow. He knew Aaravos hated it, but it was all he had in those moments. And as they fucked in this position, Viren felt Aaravos's cock press against that delicious spot inside him, one that made him see stars.

Aaravos waited a moment, keeping still while Viren got used to the feeling of being filled to the brim. While the elf's sense of urgency and need drove Viren crazy, he was glad for a moment to ready himself.

"So magnificent," Aaravos purred. "Lord Viren." He thrust once, deeply, and Viren bit his lip hard. "The mighty Mage King of Katolis," Aaravos continued before thrusting again, a grunt of satisfaction escaping his lips. "The future Conqueror of Xadia..." Another thrust. "...just loves being _dominated_."

Viren tightened his grip on the table edge, burying his face in his arm. Aaravos kept hitting that spot, but he was going slowly and deliberately, and his sultry voice alone was enough to push him right up to the edge of his sanity. His neglected dick was still pressed against the side of the table, throbbing uncontrollably with each new thrust and each new word. He wouldn't last very long if Aaravos kept talking.

"Such depraved self-indulgence..." Aaravos continued. "The way you let an elf have his way with you..."

The elf leaned forward so that his smooth voice sounded right by Viren's ear, his long white locks of hair tickling Viren's back.

"_What would Harrow think_?" he whispered.

Viren's eyes widened. Normally he'd be infuriated at the elf mentioning his old friend's name, but in such a state it only conjured images of Harrow's muscular frame, of the one night Viren felt that frame over his body, pressing into him... He felt his groin tighten, felt impossibly close...

But Aaravos stopped moving inside him, leaned back up. Viren opened his eyes, unshielded them from his arm. He tried looking sideways up at the elf, but only saw a blurred image of starry skin.

"I want so very much for you to say it," Aaravos said, a cunning smile in his voice. "I want you to say that you love it, that you crave having your ass filled with my cock."

Viren's eyes screwed shut as his gripped the table, but he said nothing.

"Say it."

Viren swallowed. He ached for release. "I..."

"I told you I wouldn't be merciful again." The playful tone in Aaravos's voice had disappeared.

Viren felt the elf's dick throb inside him, and he groaned in frustration. His heart was pounding, his excitement only growing stronger.

"...I love it," he breathed.

"You love what?"

"I-_nnn_ love your cock, Aaravos."

Aaravos groaned in satisfaction and thrust deeply. Viren moaned as well as the archmage picked up speed, falling into a rhythm. The pressure mounted in his abdomen, and he felt his climax rising as Aaravos kept brushing that spot inside him. His vision blurred, muscles clenching.

"Aaravos," he said breathlessly, "_Fuck_-" His climax hit him hard, and he groaned as the pleasure rippled through his body.

He was spent, but continued gripping the table as Aaravos finished inside him. The elf moaned in release before pulling out slowly, running an uncharacteristically gentle hand down Viren's back. The human pushed himself up off the table, still breathing heavily. He turned around, eyes falling on the languid startouched body of the archmage. He was slick with sweat, and the look in his eyes was undeniably enchanting. Even after their impassioned lechery, the man's stunning form still set Viren's blood on fire.

Aaravos went to lie down on his bed, collapsing with a contented sigh. Viren stood somewhat sheepishly by the table, watching as the elf stretched his limbs like a satisfied house cat. He considered pulling on his pants and simply leaving, like he had done the night before. But this felt different, and leaving without saying anything felt somehow improper. He waited, taking the opportunity to catch his breath.

Eventually Aaravos turned his head to look at Viren. He lightly patted the space next to him on the bed.

Viren cleared his throat. He felt awkward, but found himself wanting to join Aaravos. He went over to the bed and lay down quietly on his back, feeling his arm brushing against Aaravos's torso.

"Why did you bring him up?" Viren said in a whisper.

Aaravos was quiet for a moment. Then, "He's just another regret." He turned his head to look at Viren. "You will need to leave him behind if you wish to be successful."

Viren wanted to be angry, but he knew Aaravos was right. Harrow was a source of regret, shame, and anger within him. He couldn't allow his old friend to influence his choices any longer.

He looked at Aaravos. The man was an enigma, entirely unreadable. He had used invoked Harrow's name as a way to make Viren feel weak only moments ago, and now he was telling Viren to forget him. Maybe he was trying to show Viren how to use his weaknesses, not be chained down by them.

He didn't say anything more, for his eyes started drifting off. He fell asleep with a heady scent of sex and Aaravos flooding his senses, a content smile on his face.


End file.
